Pride
by Spottedeyes
Summary: "No matter what happens, no matter how far gone I am, I'll always have my pride." **Adopted by KatieK101**Formerly called Insanity**
1. Chapter 1

Insanity

Prologue:

_The storm clouds gather…_

From the moment she opened her eyes, she never had a doubt in her mind. She knew who she was: a future warrior of ShadowClan, daughter of Darkstar, sister to Deerkit and Pinekit. She was Fallenkit, and no one could ever tell her otherwise. She knew who she was, and nothing would ever change it; not death nor tragedy, and definitely not power. If anything, power would define who she was. She always saw that most of the clan looked at her differently. Of course, Fallenkit was certain it was because of her natural leading qualities and her kinship to their leader, Darkstar.

Only one cat viewed her like she was an ordinary cat, and his name was Goldkit.

Goldkit and his brother and sister, Sunkit and Shinekit, were all mistakes. Everyone knew that their mother, Bluethorn, was a ShadowClan warrior, and their father was a kittypet. No one knew what his name was, but then again, no one cared to find out. No one ever asked Bluethorn about him, and no one ever asked Goldkit and his siblings. Fallenkit certainly didn't care about Goldkit's heritage, for she had great blood flowing through her veins, a bright and powerful and prideful future just asking her to claim it. She had it all, and what did he have? A kittypet father and a quiet, shameful mother along with two annoying siblings. He had nothing on her.

Like any other kit, Fallenkit dreamt of becoming Fallenstar. She would often sneak out of the nursery and lay flat on her back in the clearing, staring at the stars as she fantasized about her future. She could see herself leading ShadowClan across the log bridge and onto the gathering, climbing up the large oak with ease. She of course would get the highest branch, as ShadowClan was the best clan there was. The sight of her lovely pale gray pelt shimmering in the budding darkness atop the tree caused her to purr loudly, making her forget that she was far from that point.

Of course, Fallenkit knew she was destined to get up there, it was all in a matter of time for her. She knew the steps, as it was all she ever thought about.

First, she'd have to land the best mentor possible, preferably the deputy, Redfang. Fallenkit would prefer Darkstar himself, but he was her father, so she knew it was a farfetched ideal. Redfang however, now that was a reachable goal. Next, she'd have to excel at training, be better than them all by a long-shot, even the older, more experienced apprentices. After she became a warrior prematurely, she would work hard at leading patrols and bringing back loads of fresh-kill. She would also have to pick a kit and forge a bond with it, make the thing desperately want her to mentor it more than any other cat in all the clans. Then, work on the leader, which will hopefully still be her father, about getting that particular kit as an apprentice. Once the kit becomes a paw, _her paw,_ she would make sure that there's no slacking to ensure an early warrior ceremony. After the paw becomes a warrior, Fallenkit must simply play the waiting game for Redfang to join StarClan, still leading plenty of patrols and doing extra work to get on the clan's good side. She would also have to suck up to the leader and help Redfang get to the elders' den quickly. Then she'd become deputy, and by then, Darkstar would be old and will most likely have lost some more lives by then. And finally, she'd become Fallenstar after his death. It was all in a matter of time.

Fallenkit would then take her mind to what would become of Goldkit and his future, a smirk comfortably resting on her facial features. The admittedly handsome kit would most likely leave the clan half way through his apprentice training along with his brother and sister to join his kittypet father at his twoleg's nest to live out their lives. He'd visit the cutter and live out his days sunbathing and eating rabbit-dropping and making dirt in sand forever. Fallenkit's smirk deepened when she envisioned her future self, beautiful, powerful, and respected, and wearing the name of Fallenstar, visiting the pathetic tom. He of course would be in awe, pleading for her to let him back into ShadowClan, only for her to claw his muzzle and send him yowling to his twolegs. It would be perfect, giving that kittypet scum what he deserves.

She would have no mate, as that could lead to kits and kits would hold her back from her careful planning. Besides, Fallenkit wasn't good with kits; Hailpelt's two kits, Lillykit and Rosekit, were both younger than her at the time, and she could never have a conversation with either of the she-kits. All they wanted to talk about was 'moss ball' and 'stalk the leaf', all things she had no time for. Like her mother always told her, you only get to live once, and Fallenkit was determined to live it to the fullest, maybe even get nine more lives to live. The other kits had no chance, even her own siblings didn't stand a chance in her mind. It could only be Fallenkit who became one of the 'stars', for she was strong and wily and proud, just what a ShadowClan cat had to be.

**First off, I must say that I adopted this story from KatieK101 and it was not mine originally. (She has some really cool ideas by the way so anyone who's having issues coming up with a story should check out her adoptable stories). Anyway, you all know that I work faster when I get reviews! Until next time,**

**~Spotty**


	2. Chapter 2

Allegiances:

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Darkstar- Broad dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Redfang- Rough-pelted russet tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Yarrowtail- Gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

_Apprentice: Foxtail_

Warriors:

Dustclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Fogfur- Black she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Rowanpaw_

Owlfeather- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Redpool- Reddish she-cat with blue eyes

Scorchtalon- Large mottled tom with amber eyes

Quailflight- Gray and brown she-cat with black specks and green eyes

_Apprentice: Crookedpaw_

Longtail- Black and white tom with an unusually long tail and green eyes

Lucy- A former kittypet; Fluffy white she-cat with bright amber eyes

_Apprentice: Tawnypaw_

Whiteheart- A former kittypet; Fluffy white tom with gray splotches and green eyes

Mottleface- Brown and black mottled tom with amber eyes

Flamepath- Russet she-cat with green eyes and white paws

Runningstream- Brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Wildclaw- Black tom with blue eyes

Stormeye- Black and white tom with one green eye and one blue eye

Tornstem- Black and white tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Shadepaw_

Thornstep- Deep brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Marshfur- Black tom with a white muzzle and paws with blue eyes

Queens:

Greenflower- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes; _Kits: Pinekit, Deerkit, Fallenkit_

Bluethorn- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes; _Kits: Goldkit, Shinekit, Sunkit_

Hailpelt- White and gray she-cat with green eyes; _Kits: Lillykit, Rosekit_

Apprentices:

Foxtail- Russet and black tom with green eyes

Rowanpaw- Pretty dark gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Crookedpaw- Dark brown tabby tom with a slightly twisted paw and green eyes

Tawnypaw- Black and brown she-cat with blue eyes

Shadepaw- White tom with gray patches and amber eyes

Elders:

Heathertail- Soft-pelted gray she-cat with green eyes

Adderfang- Dark-furred tabby tom with blue eyes

Rockclaw- Brown and white tom with amber eyes

**ThunderClan:**

Leader: Adderstar- Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Grasswing- Black she-cat with long fur and green eyes

Medicine Cat: Darkfang

Warriors:

Petalstorm- White she-cat with green eyes

Badgerclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Russetpaw_

Swiftpath- Black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Mousetail- Gray tom with blue eyes

Runningstorm- Lean ginger tom with striking green eyes

_Apprentice: Sagepaw_

Queens:

Rainwhisker- White and gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Snaketail- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes

**WindClan:**

Leader: Swiftstar- Light gray she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Harefoot- Big pawed black tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Berryclaw- White tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Featherpaw_

Warriors:

Whisperpool- Brown she-cat with blue eyes

Wildheart- White wiry tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Hawkpaw_

Bluecloud- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Acorntail- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Sedgeclaw- White and gray tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Brightstream- Russet and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Leafbreeze- Black she-cat with green eyes

**RiverClan:**

Leader: Streamstar- Silver she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: Sleetpelt- Gray tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Wolfheart- Black and gray tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Rippletail- Gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Troutheart- Mottled she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentice: Smallpaw_

Thornfur- Brown tom with amber eyes

Clearflower- White she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Deadwater- Black tom with blue eyes

Chapter 1:

_The sky darkens…_

A low growl rumbled in Fallenkit's throat at the sight of Lucy and Whiteheart. She'd just learned that they were both once kittypets a couple sunrises ago. She'd always thought that Lucy's name was strange; a couple of times she'd even asked her mother, Greenflower, what a Lucy was only to have the subject changed and the matter forgotten. It bothered Fallenkit that cats tried to keep their heritage a secret from her. She didn't even notice her ears flattening themselves to her head as she watched them intently. Lucy dropped a plump-looking toad onto the fresh-kill pile, and Whiteheart deposited a rather scrawny, ratty looking squirrel. Despite Lucy's name, Fallenkit's hatred ran deeper for Whiteheart than it did for Lucy simply because he had the nerve to take a warrior's name when he obviously didn't deserve it. He thought he might be able to cover his tracks and 'fit in' with the warriors of ShadowClan by taking the name 'Whitepaw' then somehow getting to 'Whiteheart'.

"Fallenkit." A sharp voice snapped, forcing her attention towards a black and white tom.

Her eyes narrowed, Stormeye was always reprimanding her for _something_. "What?" She hissed, "can I not _look _at Whiteheart and Lucy?"

Stormeye's eyes flashed as he neared the pale gray she-kit. "It's rude enough to stare, Fallenkit; but glaring for prolonged periods at your _clanmates _for StarClan's sake is unacceptable. They are your clanmates, show them some respect."

Fallenkit's lips peeled back into a snarl, "no, they're nothing but kittypet scum, Stormeye. I would never consider them to be my clanmates and neither should anyone else."

"They have proven their loyalty a million times over. I would trust either one of them to cover me in a fight, Fallenkit. One day I hope you will feel the same. Now, I suggest that you stop your behavior before one of them notices, then you'll have to apologize. If I see this again I'll be forced to tell Darkstar." Stormeye growled.

"No one's forcing you to do anything." Fallenkit hissed, her hackles raised and her kit-sharp white fangs glistening in the strong afternoon light.

Stormeye's gaze hardened. "They are your clanmates, and I will remind you as many times as it will take for you to give them the respect they deserve. If they didn't deserve respect, Lucy would not be training Tawnypaw. Be decent to them, understand me?"

"You're not my father, I only listen to him and Greenflower. I would never listen to you." Fallenkit retorted, turning away from the tom and padding towards the nursery where her siblings were dozed off in the shade.

Fallenkit's glare intensified when she felt Stormeye's gaze on her pelt. _When I'm leader, I'll make sure that kittypet-loving cat get's what he deserves. Same with Lucy and Whiteheart. Neither of them have any right to be here. _She thought bitterly as she sat beside the sleeping Deerkit and Pinekit.

"Fallenkit? What's got you in a sour mood?" The familiar, innocent, _annoying _voice of Goldkit rang in her ears.

Her scowl deepened. "You have no right to be here either, kittypet."

As usual, Goldkit didn't flinch, instead sitting beside the hateful kit. Goldkit's calm personality irked Fallenkit. She could insult him all she wanted, call him a useless kittypet, but he'd never leave her be. That made him the cat that was second on her list of cats she disliked, the first being Stormeye. If Goldkit had just showed some hurt or had even flinched at her harsh words, he'd be a little after Lucy and Whiteheart on her list. Her tail flicked with further annoyance, she lived in _ShadowClan _for StarClan's sake! The best and purest clan in the Lake Territories.

Darkstar ridiculed ThunderClan about their population of half-bloods and kittypets nearly every gathering be it directly or indirectly, yet he fails to mention all the impurities in his own clan. Fallenkit loved her father, but she didn't agree with the way he led ShadowClan. When she was leader, she silently vowed to outlaw hypocrisy.

"Fallenkit? You in there?" Goldkit asked, pulling Fallenkit out of her thoughts.

"What do you want, kittypet?" She muttered, not looking the gold and white tom in the eye.

He paused, processing Fallenkit's words and feelings before continuing. "You don't know if my father was a kittypet," he said carefully, "for all you know, it could be Foxtail or even a cat from a different clan. Bluethorn just chooses not to tell us; she said she'd tell Shinekit, Sunkit, and myself when we're warriors. And even if I am half-kittypet I know I can be a warrior just as good as you or any other cat in ShadowClan."

One of Fallenkit's rounded blue eyes glanced half-heartedly at Goldkit. "A kittypet warrior can never be a ShadowClan warrior; maybe in ThunderClan you'd have a chance, but not in this one. And what made you think of Foxtail? He doesn't even look like you, and there's no chance that your father is in this clan. Your mother isn't gold colored like you and Sunkit and there's no tom that looks even remotely like you. Admit it, you're half kittypet."

Goldkit blinked, gathering himself before rebounding. "I cannot admit to something that I don't know is true, Fallenkit."

She rolled her eyes, "whatever. I'm going to talk to a real clan cat now."

With a flick of her longish tail and a twitch of her ears, Fallenkit got to her paws and walked back into the humid, hot clearing. She gave a blink of surprise when she saw that Stormeye was still watching her. Composing herself, Fallenkit pretended that she didn't notice as she padded towards the apprentices' den. After all, she had to find a good spot for her nest, for her apprentice ceremony was going to happen any day now and she had to impress Redfang with her maturity.

Only one cat was there, Crookedpaw, licking his chest clear of a few pine needles. Fallenkit gave a faint purr and proceeded towards the tom. Crookedpaw was one of her closest friends. Two moons ago, he went from Crookedkit to Crookedpaw along with his sister, Tawnypaw; leaving Fallenkit without her preferred company.

Crookedpaw's bright green eyes locked with her own blue orbs, his head snapping up to face her properly. "Fallenkit?"

Fallenkit gave him a strange look before nodding as she stepped into the shade beside him. She was on the verge of panting it was so hot out.

"Hot isn't it?" Crookedpaw asked, a look of amusement dancing in his gaze.

"Yeah." She mumbled.

"Something wrong, Fallenkit?" He asked, the amusement leaving his face.

"It's nothing, it's just Stormeye. I simply _looked _at Lucy and Whiteheart and he just starting scolding me for no reason! I swear, Crookedpaw, he has it out for me!" Fallenkit hissed, staring at her paws.

Crookedpaw watched Fallenkit for a moment before replying. "Stormeye can be a real pain in the tail," he began, "and he doesn't have the right to treat you like his kit, but I see how you look at Lucy and Whiteheart, everyone but Lucy and Whiteheart see that you treat them differently."

Fallenkit's ears flattened against her skull. "Well everyone _looks at me _differently, so why can't I judge a cat or two?"

Crookedpaw shifted uncomfortably before meowing again. "No they don't."

"Crookedpaw… you know they do." Fallenkit murmured, lightly pressing her fur against Crookedpaw's, her tone worn and weary.

"Crookedpaw!" Quailflight yowled, "let's go, you've eaten your fresh-kill!"

The ShadowClan apprentice shot Fallenkit an apologetic look before pulling away from the she-kit and trotting towards his mentor.

With a sigh of annoyance, she made her way back to the nursery where Rosekit and Lillykit were batting a ball of moss back and forth, their blue eyes wide with glee. Rosekit slid across the ground, rolling in pine needles as she hurried to bat the ball back to Lillykit, who'd just tossed the ball too far over. Like Lillykit, Rosekit again hit the moss away from her sister. The ball landed at Fallenkit's paws.

"Fallenkit! Fallenkit! Pass it back!" Rosekit mewed, her black tail twitching in the excitement.

Fallenkit's eyes narrowed, her jaws parting to decline as rudely as she could, that was until she noticed that Redfang was watching. _I can't look like a jerk to him… then he'll never want me as his apprentice! _She realized, slowly nodding her head, wincing when the two she-kits squealed in delight. Fallenkit felt Redfang's gaze on her pelt as she hit the moss back at the sisters: the pressure was on.

XXX

After what felt like an eternity, the game finally ended when the familiar yowl of Darkstar filled the clearing. All heads turned to the great pine, where the dark tom sprang from branch to branch until he was at the desirable height.

_If I were leader, I'd go higher. _Fallenkit thought as she left the two she-kits alone in the center of the clearing, her heart pounding as she examined the possibility of her apprentice ceremony.

Fallenkit stopped by the nursery like she was supposed to, her newly-awoken siblings sitting to her left, their eyes bright despite the nap they'd just taken. Her ears flattened against her skull once more when she saw Hailpelt's kits, Rosekit and Lillykit, sit beside Deerkit, their endless chatter echoing in Fallenkit's mind, making it near impossible to hear her father. The pale she-kit suddenly regretted playing with them, having the feeling that she gave them the wrong idea; she only played with the two obnoxious kits to show Redfang that she was a well-rounded and kind she-kit. In the midst of her mental rant, she didn't take notice when Shinekit sat down beside her along with Sunkit and Goldkit.

Finally, the chatter had died down enough for Lillykit and Rosekit to feel self-conscious enough to quiet themselves. That's when Darkstar began his speech.

"ShadowClan, I have two important announcements, one's good, the other is enraging."

The clan instantly began murmuring to one another, growing tense rather quickly.

"Let's start off nicely," his gaze fell on Fallenkit and the other hoard of kittens surrounding her. "Deerkit, Pinekit, Fallenkit, Sunkit, Goldkit, and Shinekit are getting much too big for the nursery."

Fallenkit's eyes shone with anticipation as she waited for the ceremonies to start.

"What's the other news?" Another cat, Scorchtalon, called from the crowd.

She shot a glare in his direction; the other matter would obviously come up after she became a 'paw'. A purr fought its way up her throat as she thought warmly of her plan. She was nearly at phase one, breathing down its neck.

Darkstar ignored him, causing a satisfied smirk to spread across her face. "Shinekit, come here please." He said, the smirk disappearing from her face; how dare he do the kittypets first?

The young ginger and white she-kit bounced towards the tree, staying near the base rather than climbing to the first branch. _Wimp, I'm climbing to the first branch to show my strength. _She purred, pleased at her coward nature.

"Shinekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shinepaw. Your mentor will be Mottleface. I hope Mottleface will pass down all he knows on to you." The newly named she-cat happily padded towards Mottleface, who had also approached the tree, waiting on his part of the ceremony.

"Mottleface, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You had received excellent training from Fogfur, and you have shown yourself to be a powerful opponent in battle. You will be the mentor of Shinepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." Darkstar concluded, nodding at Mottleface and Shinepaw. The two promptly touched noses before Mottleface led Shinepaw away into the crowd and out of the way.

Darkstar then called Sunkit to the tree, who like his sister, stayed at the stump of the tree. "Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Dustclaw. I hope Dustclaw will pass down all he knows on to you." He began, staring down at the clan's most senior warrior as he neared the tree; he'd obviously done this many times before.

Fallenkit's pelt burned, that tom's talents were being wasted on a kittypet when they should be used to train a real warrior.

"Dustclaw, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You had received excellent training from the late Appletail, and you have shown yourself to be a wise and powerful cat. You will be the mentor of Sunpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Darkstar finished, beckoning him closer with a flick of his tail.

The two toms touched noses before joining Mottleface and Shinepaw.

Fallenkit nearly snarled when Darkstar called for Goldkit. He especially didn't deserve a mentor.

"Goldkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldpaw. Your mentor will be Redfang. I hope Redfang will pass down all he knows on to you."

Fallenkit didn't think she heard her father correctly until she saw Redfang approach. She began shaking in fury and disbelief; he was supposed to be her mentor! She made sure to be everything a kit should be in front of him! Fallenkit was too angry to listen to Redfang's attributes.

She barely held back a screech of retaliation when she saw the two touch noses: kittypet and deputy. It was horrific.

Deerpaw's and Pinepaw's ceremonies were basically ignored by Fallenkit; all she knew was that Deerpaw's mentor was Marshfur and Pinepaw's was Flamepath. Her plan had just been destroyed by Goldpaw and she didn't care about who mentored her now, any one of them would be horrible. Her dream to become a warrior in merely four moons was abolished, gone in merely seconds.

She was jerked out of her bitter thoughts when Greenflower gave her a rough nudge. "Fallenkit!" She hissed, "Darkstar's calling for you!"

Fallenkit's eyes widened and she quickly composed herself. Just because Goldpaw ruined her life didn't mean that every cat in ShadowClan needed to know. Acting as though her ceremony was going to be great, Fallenkit scrambled to the tree. Darkstar began the ceremony before she had a chance to climb to the first branch.

"Fallenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fallenpaw. Your mentor will be Stormeye. I hope Stormeye will pass down all he knows on to you."

Fallenpaw's eyes widened in disbelief as the black and white tom trotted to the tree, just two fox-tail lengths away from her. His gaze was fixed on Darkstar.

Darkstar then did the closing part of her ceremony. "Stormeye, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You had received excellent training from Whiteheart, and you have shown yourself to be a calculating and wise cat for your age. You will be the mentor of Fallenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Her heart began to beat faster, her rage and shock building when she learned that kittypet-Whiteheart had mentored Stormeye, her mentor. Fallenpaw's ceremony was a disaster. Her dignity sank when she touched noses with him. Stormeye said nothing, much to her relief before dragging her to where all the other apprentices and their mentors stood.

Fallenpaw began to inch away from the tom and towards Deerpaw and Pinepaw, nearly jumping out of her fur when Stormeye interrupted her. "Stay put, the meeting isn't over yet." He murmured, casting her a warning glance.

Shooting him a glare, she ignored him and stood beside Deerpaw and Marshfur.

"Now, for the lesser news." Darkstar meowed, his amber gaze hardening at the change in subject. His clan watched attentively.

"For the past moon, as you know, our patrols have both scented ThunderClan in our territory and seen ThunderClan cats hunting in our territory. It ends now."

Yowls of approval followed, giving Darkstar a look of satisfaction. "Yes, and with the next gathering just around the corner, I plan to confront Adderstar about her warriors on our territory. If that doesn't put an end to it, we go to war. And in war, we make sacrifices-"

Fallenpaw glanced over her shoulder to see that Hailpelt was ushering Rosekit and Lillykit back in the nursery.

"-and if that means stealing kits and killing warriors to teach those good-for-nothing kittypet lovers a lesson, then we will." Darkstar announced.

The clan was silent, obviously remembering why ShadowClan had its nasty reputation as an evil clan. Fallenpaw was among the few that nodded in acceptance, earning some glares from a few other cats. The new apprentice held her head high, ignoring them. She was a ShadowClan apprentice, and she planned on upholding ShadowClan's legacy.

**…And done! Okay, I must say that I got a lot more reviews than I thought I would just for the prologue, so I must say thank you for that guys! You're awesome! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2:

_The frigid air takes its hold…_

As soon as the masses dispersed, the clan returning to its typical activities, Fallenpaw ran straight to her father; her normally bright eyes dark with an unspoken rage.

"Darkstar," she began as calmly and politely as she could, "may I speak to you for a moment?" Fallenpaw cast a glance over her shoulder to see an irritated Stormeye nearing her, "in private?"

The ShadowClan warrior narrowed his eyes. "Don't you want to start your training? You're always so eager-"

"I have a problem that I would like to address." Fallenpaw interrupted, her gaze hard and focused as she stared the large dark tom down.

"Fallenpaw, stop harassing your father and running off! You deliberately disobeyed me during the meeting, and you're old enough to receive consequences for your actions!" Stormeye hissed, his tail lashing violently like an angry adder behind him.

Darkstar's eyes darkened. "Fallenpaw, did you-"

"Why did you give him to me as my mentor?" She demanded. "You know how much I ha- dislike him," Fallenpaw grimaced, correcting herself before she got in hot water.

Stormeye was unfazed by Fallenpaw's rude comment, having been used to them from correcting her as a kit so many times. Darkstar on the other paw, seemed shocked for a brief moment, only to have anger replace his stunned expression. His expression became hollow and more menacing, the light fading from his already dark amber eyes. "Stormeye is your mentor because he's the only one who seems to be able to control you, Fallenpaw. I suggest you apologize with him, you're already on bad footing with him." A bit of disappointment flared in his gaze before he turned away from his daughter, padding towards Runningstream and Wildclaw to join their small but effective hunting patrol.

"Fallenpaw," Stormeye began, "apologize."

Fallenpaw's furious leer deepened, her still-white fangs bared at the tom. "Never would I apologize to you, Stormeye."

Stormeye stared at the pale she-cat for a moment before snagging her lengthy tail in his jaws, giving it a sharp tug. A quiet yet pained squeal parted her jaws, her glare becoming unfocused as her mentor roughly dragged her towards the exit of the still-humid camp. She felt her pelt burn with embarrassment as many sets of eyes fell on her. Giving a petite snarl, Fallenpaw ripped her tail free, cursing beneath her breath when she felt a chunk of fur removed from her tail. She walked calmly out of the exit, her head held high. The two stayed silent until Stormeye had led the both of them deeper into the territory. Fallenpaw hadn't taken in very much scenery on the way.

"You push me to my limits, you know that right? I haven't been your mentor for more than a few moments, and you've already greatly angered me, are you aware of this?" Stormeye whispered, not waiting for her response. "Even as a kit, you've surprised me with a rude, hateful attitude. And as your mentor, it's become my job to break that attitude."

Fallenpaw simply glared at him, "father threw my future into the dirt-place by having you mentor me, do you know that? Did you know that I had great plans? But a kittypet stole them away from me, and to make matters worse, my father stuck me with you of all cats."

His ears twitched with annoyance. "Well who did you think would have the _pleasure _of mentoring you? Certainly not any cat important. You're a real pain in the tail, Fallenpaw, you know that?"

She fell silent, not daring to let him in on her careful planning. He'd already done enough to stunt it, if he knew anything about her plans to become one of the youngest warriors in ShadowClan history, Stormeye would definitely go out of his way to hold her back. Her eyes widened for a moment as she envisioned Rosekit and Lillykit getting their warrior names before her. Fallenpaw shook her head, clearing her mind of those horrid thoughts.

"I asked you a question, Fallenpaw. I expect an answer." Stormeye growled.

"Any cat but you." She said smoothly, a smirk worming its way onto her features.

"I didn't request to mentor you, Fallenpaw. Your father picked me because he saw your flaws and how only I made an attempt to correct them before they grew out of paw. Trust me, I was just as horrified as you are when Darkstar called me into his den to tell me that I would be in charge of you. But I didn't run away from it or attempt to change it, Fallenpaw. I suggest you do the same." He replied, his facial expression switching from frustration to calm to frustration to calm again.

"As I said before, Stormeye, I will never respect you. The most I will ever do is tolerate you to please Darkstar." She said, the anger in her gaze melting to a calm that obviously angered Stormeye as she locked her blue eyes with his one green eye and blue eye.

Fallenpaw was beginning to enjoy working and manipulating cats though looks alone; if she kept it up long enough, she knew Stormeye's determination would falter and fall through. Perhaps she would even be able to frame Stormeye for not training her and get training from a far better cat. Her heart gave a content sigh as she greedily drank up his emotion. The rising frustration was exhilarating to Fallenpaw, much like how she imagined hunting would feel; she held all the power now.

"I didn't want to do this on your first day, Fallenpaw, but you leave me no choice: go back to camp, no training today. You are to stay in camp and tend to the elders. You can get moss and mouse bile from Yarrowtail." Stormeye growled.

At those words, Fallenpaw felt the ground ripped out beneath her paws. Her power was gone, confiscated for apparent misuse on her part.

XXX

"I'm sure tomorrow will go better for you," Crookedpaw meowed as he helped Fallenpaw make a nest, "Stormeye will get over it."

Fallenpaw's hatred never fell from her face like it normally would after being with Crookedpaw, instead making itself at home on her features. She shook her head, "you know he won't, Crookedpaw. Stormeye has it out for me."

He fell silent as he pushed more bracken and moss beside his while Fallenpaw swept away pine needles and nettle that had settled on the ground; Fallenpaw had never been fond of the rather prickly objects. Fallenpaw began making the base while Crookedpaw built up shallow walls. Once satisfied, Fallenpaw settled on the nest, grunting to Crookedpaw that it was good enough. He then flopped down on his nest beside hers, his jaws parting for a yawn. Fallenpaw yawned too, but she had no intension of sleeping. Not for long at least.

Fallenpaw patiently watched for all the apprentices to come in the den. Tawnypaw came first, eagerly stepping into her petite nest and falling asleep; Deerpaw was next, sleeping in her newly-built nest beside Tawnypaw's; Shinepaw came third, taking a seat in her nest and washing her pretty blue-gray fur before falling asleep; Shadepaw and Rowanpaw came in together, tiredly complaining about their apparently rough training session; then Sunpaw and Goldpaw came last, Goldpaw trailing behind a little. He cast Fallenpaw a hopeful glance as though wanting to talk to her. His face fell a little when he saw her eyes closed, falling into step with his brother.

Pleased when she saw every apprentice asleep, Fallenpaw silently stepped out of her nest, her eyes bright at the thought of redemption. She didn't need Stormeye to train.

**Wow! Another update, that was fast, wasn't it? Well, don't get used to it because it probably won't happen again; besides, this chapter was particularly short, don't you agree? Oh, and before I forget, I've already come up with possible shippings for Fallenpaw! (Yes, it's probably going to end badly because of the summary, but it has to happen because that's how I planned it!) I'd happily take more in though, so you guys should think some up and review them; who knows, maybe it'll be your idea- wait, hold the phone! I sound like some TV commercial! Oh whatever! Ah, and also, thanks for the reviews! I love getting them, and most of them have possible warrior names and I'm pleased to have them! Okay, so… bye!**

**~Spotty**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3:

_The weak and weary take cover…_

"Fallenpaw, Fallenpaw, Fallenpaw! Wake up! Stormeye's already angry with you, being late isn't going to aid you in any way." Crookedpaw hissed softly, nudging the pale-gray apprentice with his muzzle.

Fallenpaw's blue orbs slowly opened. Her body felt stiff and useless; she held some regret for trying to train herself the night before. She tried to follow Goldpaw's and Redfang's scent to their training spot, only to wind up at a foreign border, presumably ThunderClan, as their borders didn't smell of fish. The she-cat had attempted to follow her own scent trail back to camp after she was done training only to get lost; it took her most of the night. The last thing she wanted to do was even _glance _at Stormeye.

"Come on, Fallenpaw-"

"I'm getting up." Fallenpaw muttered, her tail lashing as she forced her weary self up.

Crookedpaw watched as his friend lapped at her chest fur, smoothing out the ruffled and clumpy parts. Feeling slightly self-conscious, Fallenpaw stopped mid-lick, her blue eyes shooting him a questioning look. Crookedpaw's eyes widened for a moment. He started licking his chest fur as well, his already-smooth fur rippling with embarrassment. Fallenpaw rolled her eyes and moved on to her back, glaring at Goldpaw; he didn't notice as he was too engrossed in his conversation with Shinepaw.

Flicking her ears at Crookedpaw in goodbye, Fallenpaw left the den.

"Fallenpaw! There you are." Stormeye meowed, striding confidently in her direction.

She rolled her eyes, her ears automatically resting on her skull. Stormeye gave her a disapproving look and beckoned her with his black tail. Fallenpaw reluctantly followed, her claws unsheathing themselves, digging into the soft, boggy earth as she walked.

As soon as Stormeye had led Fallenpaw a good distance away from the camp entrance, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Now Fallenpaw, I trust your done with your nonsense. I would rather not make you sit in camp all day today again."

Fallenpaw didn't reply, closing her eyes and bathing her senses in the sweet smell of pine.

"Fallenpaw." Stormeye said firmly.

She opened one eye part way, as though willing for him to go on.

He gave a sigh of irritation. "We'll be training with Pinepaw and Flamepath today, I'm sure you won't want to go out of your way to disobey me in front of your brother."

Stormeye had Fallenpaw's attention now, her eyes opened, "there will be no promises."

"Fallenpaw." Stormeye said, his voice laced with warning.

Fallenpaw merely flicked her tail in acknowledgement. Knowing that was the absolute best he'd get from Fallenpaw at this point, Stormeye led his apprentice to the empty clearing near the ThunderClan border.

XXX

"Fallenpaw, your rump is sticking up like a duck, your tail's sweeping the floor, and your paws are in all the wrong places." Stormeye muttered, his eyes sharply narrowed as he observed Fallenpaw's hunting crouch.

Fallenpaw hissed in response, her ears naturally falling onto her head, her tail lashing in frustration. "Watch me, Stormeye. I'll catch more prey than you ever could in this crouch."

"Um, Stormeye's sort of right, Fallenpaw." Pinepaw said sheepishly, not daring to look his sister in the eye as he performed his own crouch.

She shot her brother a glare, silencing him.

"Fallenpaw, swallow your pride and let me fix this," Stormeye meowed, pushing her back paws into the correct positions with his muzzle.

Fallenpaw squeaked in surprise, nearly falling over as the larger cat adjusted her. She hissed, stubbornly putting her paws back to where they were originally. Stormeye quickly undid her action and continued tweaking her stance; he gripped her tail rather gently in his jaws, moving it so it was barely above the ground before putting a paw on her flank, pushing her bottom down.

The she-cat glared at him, moving into a sitting position. She refused to admit it, but the position felt more doable when Stormeye had adjusted her.

"Again, Fallenpaw." Stormeye directed.

Fallenpaw ignored him.

Flamepath stepped in, "you know, Fallenpaw, I can tell you're talented like your brother. If you keep practicing, I'm sure it'll be perfected before your first gathering."

The pale gray she-cat purred at the ginger she-cat's words, sinking back into a hunting crouch, allowing Pinepaw's mentor to adjust her. She liked her much more than Stormeye. "Like this?" She asked, barely suppressing a smirk when she noted Stormeye's tail lashing in dismay.

Flamepath nodded approvingly, her gaze flickering between Pinepaw and Fallenpaw. The russet warrior came to Stormeye's side, whispering something in his ear. She stepped away and he nodded, his eyes staring directly at Fallenpaw.

His gaze made her shift uncomfortably: he knew something she didn't and Fallenpaw didn't like it one bit.

Stormeye flicked his ears, "Flamepath, do you think they're ready to try hunting toads?"

She shrugged, "I don't see why not. Alright, you two heard him. But, I must remind you that like most prey, frogs and toads can feel you coming, so just be careful of where you put your paws."

The siblings nodded simultaneously, Pinepaw heading right, and Fallenpaw going left.

XXX

Fallenpaw could already feel her mouth salivating at just the sight of the plump toad; they'd always been her favorite, as their skin tasted bitter, but the flesh had a rather sweet taste that stayed on her tongue, something she didn't mind. The toad was near the lake, forcing Fallenpaw to think things through as oppose to just running senselessly after the prey. She checked her form several times, making sure it was near-exact to what Flamepath had taught her. Taking a deep, silent breath, Fallenpaw began to slowly creep towards the toad, her gaze switching quickly between the ground and the toad, ensuring she wasn't going to tread on anything that would make a noise while making sure the toad stayed put. She refused to lose her first kill. Her haunches wriggled ever so slightly before she pounced, her paws slamming onto the toad's back, stunning it. Seizing the moment, Fallenpaw delivered a swift killing bite to the unfortunate creature's spine, quickly thanking StarClan for a successful first kill. Her pale blue eyes gleamed with pride as she gently picked the still-limp piece into her jaws, careful not to shred it in her jaws.

"Well done."

Fallenpaw nearly dropped her toad in surprise, her head snapping in the voice's direction.

Stormeye appeared behind a cluster of smaller, young pine saplings, a satisfied look on his features. "You took your time for once and it paid off, I'm proud of you."

She stood there, stunned. _Never _did Fallenpaw ever think Stormeye would ever praise her for anything.

His pleased look faltered at her reaction. "Can you not take a compliment or something? Would you rather be reprimanded instead?" He asked, his eyes narrowing. "Because I wouldn't mind scolding you about how you acted about the hunting crouch."

Once again, Fallenpaw's ears laid themselves back on her head, her pride vanishing.

Stormeye's gaze hardened, "please do not forget that _I _am your mentor, not Flamepath or any other cat."

Fallenpaw's eyes narrowed, "for now, yes."

"You keep dreaming, Fallenpaw. Now let's get back to camp," Stormeye said as he looked at the darkening sky, "it's getting dark."

XXX

"I can't believe you caught a toad," Pinepaw muttered jealously, "my starling got away when I tread on a branch."

Fallenpaw smirked, "it's not my fault your mentor took time away from training you to help me."

"Fallenpaw caught a toad?" A voice asked.

The pale gray she-cat immidately grimaced, knowing who it was. Goldpaw came towards her, his expression bright. "I caught a squirrel." He purred happily.

Fallenpaw gave him a look of disgust when he settled on the den's floor beside her, purring in contentment. Crookedpaw, who was on Fallenpaw's other side, shot him a glare. Goldpaw gave him an eerily calm look, ignoring him. Fallenpaw scooted a little closer to Crookedpaw, pressing her pelt against his. She didn't take notice of his green eyes dilating at the sudden closeness.

The newest apprentices along with Crookedpaw held some sort of bragging circle, each boasting about a catch or cool strike they'd for sure use to fight ThunderClan that their mentor taught them. The bragging only ceased when Rowanpaw and Shadepaw asked them to quiet down. That night, Fallenpaw couldn't help but sleep through the night.

**… this story is keeping me from writing any of my other stories! (But that's okay since I'm sort of in little rough patches with Tribute and Waves and Danketsu so I get to procrastinate!) I'm pleased to hear that you guys are enjoying the story so far. I have to say that I am too! I actually wrote out a plot map (fun fact: this is the first story that I've done this for (most the time I just wing it!)) So once again, thanks for the reviews! (And maybe I'll update again quickly).**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4:

Fallenpaw stared ahead into the pines, tuning Stormeye out as she envisioned the island where the gatherings where held; Darkstar had announced that Fallenpaw along with Goldpaw, Shinepaw, Sunpaw, Deerpaw, and Pinepaw would be attending the gathering that night. Her paws kneaded at the soft, boggy ground beneath her in contentment. Fallenpaw knew Darkstar would confront Adderstar about her warriors and couldn't believe that she'd actually get to watch him back the ThunderClan leader into a corner, where they belonged.

"-attack, got it?" Stormeye finished, eyeing his apprentice knowingly, as though he'd noticed that she was daydreaming rather than paying him any heed.

"Um, yeah." She muttered, getting into a fighting stance, hoping she would just do what Stormeye asked.

Stormeye rolled his eyes, "I know you weren't paying attention, Fallenpaw. I'll repeat it just this once, so listen to me for once in your life. You are to try to outwit me in a mock battle, keep your claws sheathed and I will keep my claws sheathed."

Fallenpaw's pelt burned with embarrassment. "Yes." She responded a little loudly, making herself flinch a little. Her heart sped up in excitement; finally she'd be able to attack Stormeye, take the anger he'd given her and throw it back.

"Whenever you're ready." He said calmly, getting into a sturdy, yet relaxed stance.

Fallenpaw didn't respond, instead glancing the tom over. Her pelt heated up a little, she'd never really looked at Stormeye before. And although she'd never tell Stormeye nor any other cat, she had to admit that he was good looking. His black and white pelt covered rippling muscle and seemed to shine in the dim light filtered through the pines. She mentally chided at herself, she couldn't see him in any other way. He was the enemy, he was there to hold her back.

Fallenpaw relaxed a little when she reminded herself that plenty of toms were good looking. Crookedpaw looked nice, and although she hated to say it, Goldpaw and Sunpaw both wore handsome gold tabby coats and had nice bright blue eyes.

Shaking her head clear of the forbidden thoughts, Fallenpaw refocused herself and snaked around to his left, leaping onto his back in a matter of seconds: she was fast and she intended on using that to her advantage. Much to her delight, Stormeye's eyes widened. Fallenpaw didn't stay elated for long; Stormeye quickly dropped to the muddy ground, throwing the smaller she-cat into the earth. Fallenpaw skidded across the ground, laying unmoving when her body came to a halt.

Stormeye's eyes widened, hurrying to Fallenpaw's side. "Fallenpaw, are you alright?"

Fallenpaw didn't respond.

Growing more panicked, Stormeye spoke again. "Fallen-"

Without warning, Fallenpaw gripped Stormeye's face between her two front paws, her claws unsheathed. Her eyes were glittering with excitement as her claws sunk deeper, this felt much more intense than simply sinking her claws into a toad or starling. Stormeye hissed, his eyes quickly setting aflame as he realized that his apprentice had fooled him. He battled at her face roughly, making Fallenpaw's ears rest on her skull and her claws go in deeper. Stormeye barely held back a screech of pain at her action.

"Fallenpaw, stop!" Stormeye snarled, swatting at her face again, claws unsheathed.

Fallenpaw hissed in pain when his claws hooked the flesh on her cheek, letting Stormeye go. Stormeye reeled back, little beads of crimson visible on the white fur of his face. He glared at her, "what did I tell you? I told you claws sheathed."

The pale-gray she-cat got to her paws, shaking the loose bits of mud off her pelt. "Sorry." She muttered, staring at her paws with her ears resting on her skull.

Stormeye seemed to look taken back. "What?"

Fallenpaw's lips drew back into a half snarl, "don't make me say it twice."

The black and white tom's hostility and overall anger seemed to vanish, his eyes glimmering with curiosity. "I've never heard you say that word before, you know that?"

She nodded. "It was the first time I've said it too." Fallenpaw whispered, suppressing a wince from the small stinging scratch on her cheek.

For some reason, Fallenpaw wasn't angry that Stormeye clawed her and she truly did feel sorry. She felt her stomach churn at this new feeling: guilt. It felt bitter, but not the good kind like when she'd eat a toad; it felt like… well she couldn't quite describe it.

The two sat in silence, Stormeye staring at Fallenpaw, and Fallenpaw staring at Stormeye's wounds that she'd caused, watching the dabs of blood run like tears through his fur. She didn't care to notice if Stormeye was staring at her cheek. Eventually, Fallenpaw broke the silence, not liking the strange, peaceful silence between the two; she preferred it to be her against him, tormenting the tom by ignoring his instruction. This… this mutual understanding, she didn't like it.

"We should clean up, it would be bad if anyone found that we injured each other," Fallenpaw muttered, ripping her gaze away from her mentor.

"Yes." Stormeye murmured, beckoning her with a flick of his tail. "There's a stream not too far from here."

XXX

"I still can't believe that Stormeye gave you the rest of the day off." Crookedpaw meowed enviously as he strolled beside her.

Fallenpaw shrugged, "he wanted me to have some free time before the gathering."

His eyes narrowed, "are you sure? That doesn't seem like him."

Fallenpaw's eyes glinted mischievously, "what does it matter? Out of all the cats I know, I thought that you especially wouldn't care about what goes through that rat-brained cat's head."

Crookedpaw let out a purr, gradually moving closer to his friend. "Maybe I'm just jealous because you get to watch Darkstar bite Adderstar's head off," he began, "won't it be cool if somehow a war starts between us and ThunderClan?"

Fallenpaw flicked her ears, weaving through a rather tight cluster of pines, glancing disdainfully at the sap that now clung to her once-clean pale pelt. Meeting up with Crookedpaw, who'd gone around the pines, she replied. "I wouldn't mind it," she admitted as she recalled the training session from earlier, "ripping my claws through some mangy kittypet-warrior's fur would feel lovely." Her claws flexed just at the thought, longing to do the action that she'd done to Stormeye's face. The guilt came back to her for a moment, but she shoved it away; it was pointless.

He purred his agreement, his eyes glancing over Fallenpaw's pelt. "You've got something here," Crookedpaw smirked, waving his tail over her whole self.

Fallenpaw's eyes narrowed, her ears flattening themselves out of a friendly spite. "Oh shut it, Crookedfoot." She muttered, playfulness dancing in her gaze as she used her kit-nickname for him.

Crookedpaw roughly shoved her, getting some of the golden sap onto his own fur. Fallenpaw stumbled a bit, forcing a friendly glare. "I hate you." She meowed, suddenly tempted to wash the sticky substance from her fur.

"Hey," Crookedpaw said, his face concentrated in mock seriousness, "save it for the gathering."

XXX

The moon hung lazily in the sky as Fallenpaw walked to the gathering, Pinepaw and Deerpaw at her sides.

"I cannot wait to see the look on her face when Darkstar confronts her!" Deerpaw purred as quietly as she could, her pretty green eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Neither can I," Pinepaw added, "I scented those good-for-nothing kittypets today and yesterday when I went on the dawn patrol with Flamepath."

Fallenpaw wanted to chime in, but she hadn't had a run in with ThunderClan that was significant enough to rival her brother's encounters.

"Father has real knack for making cats feel bad when he wants to, so he's going to make Adderstar feel like a pile of fox-dung." Pinepaw meowed again, not bothering to hush his voice, ignoring a couple glares from a passing group of ThunderClan cats; both clans took a similar route to the log bridge.

Fallenpaw glared back at the cats, tearing their harsh glances away from Pinepaw. She purred in satisfaction; never would anyone make a fool or villain out of her clanmates, especially not her brother. If she was going to be Fallenstar, she'd have to make sure no other clan dared to shoot any of her cats leers or glares or grimaces, nothing.

Once the bridge came into sight, the cats formed a single-file line to cross the bridge. Fallenpaw purposely cut off the group of ThunderClan cats who'd had the nerve to glare at Pinepaw. "Stupid ThunderClan." She muttered, earning two purrs of agreement from her siblings.

Crossing the bridge was a little more difficult than Fallenpaw thought it would be, but she managed to get across in a timely fashion. Once across, she took in her surroundings: the great oak towered above all the other puny trees that grew on the island, catching her attention right away. Fighting the urge to daydream about her future self, Fallenpaw continued observing. She assumed the clearing was vast and open, but it was difficult to tell because ShadowClan had arrived second to last, the last being ThunderClan.

Fallenpaw broke away from Deerpaw and Pinepaw to get a closer look at the oak. She desperately wanted to see who was the weakest, in other words, she wanted to see which leader was on the lowest branch. She hissed in frustration when the hoard of cats proved difficult to weave through; it was nothing like the clusters of pines that she was used to.

"Fallenpaw!" A voice interrupted, stopping the young apprentice.

She barely held back a snarl of disgust when Goldpaw came to her side, cheerful as ever. "Fallenpaw, you've just gotta meet Hawkpaw and Featherpaw, they're apprentices of WindClan." He insisted, beckoning her.

Inwardly sighing in irritation, Fallenpaw followed the gold tom further back towards the log bridge. Two cats that looked very similar stood beside each other, conversing with Shinepaw and Sunpaw. Fallenpaw felt that familiar pang again, _guilt_. Goldpaw looked very excited, and although he was and always would be a kittypet in her eyes, Fallenpaw felt obligated to at least _talk _to the two cats; besides, it wouldn't be horrible to talk to other apprentices, this was a gathering of course.

"Hawkpaw, Featherpaw, meet Fallenpaw." Goldpaw purred, flicking his ears at Fallenpaw.

The first, a larger wire-coated silvery tom, introduced himself. "Hi, Fallenpaw, I am Hawkpaw of WindClan." He flicked his tail at the smaller she-cat. "That's my sister, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw dipped her head in greeting, her amber eyes shining.

"Nice to meet you," Fallenpaw said as politely as she could muster, "I'm from ShadowClan."

"We all are." Shinepaw purred.

Fallenpaw was about to reply when Streamstar, RiverClan's leader, yowled at the top of her lungs, gaining the attention of the conversing clans. Seeing that there wasn't a choice, Fallenpaw seated herself beside Goldpaw, inching away a little. The voices of the clans quickly stopped, all eyes fell on the silver she-cat.

"Alright, since RiverClan arrived first, I say that we go first." Streamstar purred. "The prey is running well in RiverClan, and it's been rather uneventful." The she-cat finished her short speech, turning to Swiftstar, who eagerly took the stand.

"Like in RiverClan, prey is running well, the rabbits are fast but not too fast," Swiftstar purred, her eyes aflame with delight. "Brightstream and Sedgeclaw have just become parents, and we now have three healthy kits: Rabbitkit, Breezekit, and Heatherkit." She paused to let the warm meows of congratulation to flow through the air before continuing. "We've chased off a few of the twolegs' nosey dogs with little difficulty." She finished, nodding at Adderstar.

Fallenpaw couldn't help but snarl at the sight of the ThunderClan leader, her eyes glaring daggers as she began to speak.

"We also have new additions to ThunderClan, Rainwhisker has just given birth to Thrushkit and Cloverkit. Along with that, we chased a fox onto ShadowClan territory-"

"You did what?" Darkstar growled, interrupting Adderstar.

Fallenpaw along with Goldpaw and his siblings watched intently; this is what they were waiting for, a fight between the two.

Adderstar glanced at Fallenpaw's father. "We chased a fox out of our territory and onto yours. It's now your problem" She said smoothly.

The tom seemed to double in size as he raised his hackles, "are you trying to provoke me?"

Unfazed, Adderstar shrugged, "I don't believe so, I just didn't want the fox to be a threat to my clan."

Fallenpaw watched intently as Darkstar threatened to leap to Adderstar's branch, his eyes blazing with cold fury. "Your warriors have been tresspassing on my clan's territory for nearly a moon, Adderstar, then you go put a fox in my territory. What do you call that?"

Anxious murmurs filled the clearing, only ShadowClan stayed silent, enjoying the show.

Adderstar quickly glanced at the sky, "the moon's getting covered, StarClan doesn't approve of this conversation, the gathering is over."

On that note, the ThunderClan leader leapt off the tree, landing gracefully on the ground and beckoning all of her cats towards her. Streamstar and Swiftstar exchanged confused glances before jumping off the tree as well, rallying their own cats towards the bridge. Only Darkstar stayed atop his branch.

"You're a fool, Adderstar!" Darkstar spat loudly, making a few cats flinch or pause on their way out. "If you think I'm taking this lying down, you're dead wrong!"

**Another chapter done! I wanted to get this one down because I'm going on vacation for a few days so I'll only have my IPad mini and that didn't have this first half of the chapter on it, so I didn't want to rewrite the whole thing. Anyhow, I'd like some predictions on how this whole thing between ThunderClan's going to play out… Oh! And thanks for the reviews, I always appreciate them.**

**~Spotty**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5:

The future turns opaque...

Crookedpaw was waiting for Fallenpaw when she and the other ShadowClan cats came back. He sat in the mouth of the apprentices' den, shuffling his paws impatiently.

Stifling a purr of amusement, Fallenpaw padded towards him, breaking away from Goldpaw and Shinepaw, who'd insisted on walking back beside her.

"You're back!" He purred, excitement dancing in his bright green orbs as he watched her slim figure approach.

Fallenpaw, still riled up from the events of her first gathering, was eager to tell Crookedpaw everything she heard and saw. She hurried to his side, beckoning him back to the direction of their nests.

The two sat in front of the nests. Crookedpaw stared at Fallenpaw, sending out a silent plea for her to hurry and start telling him.

"You won't believe what that piece of fox-dung did!" Fallenpaw snarled, her eyes bright yet furious as she recalled the events of the gathering.

"What'd Adderstar do?" Crookedpaw asked anxiously.

"That mange-pelt's patrol chased a fox onto ShadowClan territory, then when Darkstar confronted her about it and announced to all four clans that her warriors trespassed on our territory, she lied that the moon was being covered up and that StarClan was upset, then she ended the gathering!" She hissed, her voice taking up an icy and acidic tone.

Crookedpaw's pelt immediately rose off his back, making him look twice as large as his lips drew back, revealing his sharp fangs. His eyes grew cold, and Fallenpaw had to admit that he was beginning to look more and more like a full grown cat rather than an oversized kit. She inwardly winced at the fact that he would most likely become a warrior before her, but shoved it away; Crookedpaw was her friend, she should be happy for him, right?

"How does a cat like her even become a leader?" Crookedpaw seethed, his claws ripping into the soft ground under-paw.

Fallenpaw rolled her lovely blue eyes, "through manipulation of course."

"That she-cat's no better than Tigerstar," he muttered as he padded out of the den. He cast a look over his shoulder, "I need to clear my head, I'll be back later."

She nodded, staring at her paws, mowing over what he had said about

Tigerstar, former leader of ShadowClan. His time had been so long ago that he and Firestar were merely nursery tales, used as examples. No cat even knew for sure if either cat had actually existed. Fallenpaw actually liked Tigerstar's ideals; conjoining all four clans, she looked up to him in a way. For a while, she wanted to be like him, just without the evil intent that turned the forest against him. Now, Fallenpaw was independent enough to come up with her own ways to improve ShadowClan, Tigerstar was nothing more than kits' tales, no one important.

Fallenpaw snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of Tawnypaw's voice.

"Hm?" She asked, turning to face the she-cat.

"I asked if you would tell me about the gathering, Sunpaw's version is choppy and Shinepaw along with Goldpaw are telling Shadepaw and Rowanpaw about the gathering." Tawnypaw repeated, her blue eyes glinting in the darkness.

"Of course."

XXX

"Fallenpaw! Fallenpaw!" The horribly squeaky mews of Rosekit and Lillykit cried, a sloppy ball of moss sitting not too far from the two sisters.

Sighing, Fallenpaw stopped, half wanting to listen so she wouldn't have to spend any extra time with Stormeye. "Yes?"

"Will you play with us?" Lillykit asked, her still baby-blue eyes glinting with hope.

Fallenpaw flicked her ears in annoyance, "why would I do that?"

Lillykit's face fell, cuing Rosekit to speak. "You played with us last time."

She rolled her eyes, "that was a one time thing, don't be expecting me to do anything remotely similar with you two ever again."

Fallenpaw didn't stay to witness their disappointment, instead starting to the entrance, only to run into Stormeye, who's gaze was unreadable. She forced a nod, fearing that he heard the way she acted towards the two sisters. That action only seemed to darken his eyes.

"We have nothing but time, Fallenpaw. I think you have time for a game of moss ball." Stormeye said cooly, glancing at the two crestfallen kits.

Her ears laid themselves back on her skull, "Stormeye, we may have a war on our paws, and you expect me to waste valuable training time to play with two bratty she-kits who can play by themselves?"

"That's exactly why you should be playing with them; war is difficult not just for the warriors and apprentices, but it's a scary time for the kits. Give them a dollop of joy and glee every once in a while," Stormeye said, his tone softening as he watched the two kits, "it makes it just a little easier for them to bear."

Guilt pulsed through her body, her claws rooting themselves in the earth to keep her from turning around to play with the kits. "That's what their mothers are for." She said cooly, her ears perking back up.

"We are not to train until you play with those two, and you can't fake it." Stormeye glared.

"Fake what? You mean fake having fun? I have no intention to fake anything, if I'm not having fun then they'll definitely know." She hissed, turning to face the kits.

XXX

Fallenpaw's pelt burned with embarrassment, the game had gone terribly in her opinion, the kits were elated, batting the ball eagerly towards Fallenpaw, their excitement never fading even though she started out laying down. It was already bad because Stormeye was watching the game, but when Goldpaw came back from the dawn patrol and insisted on joining, it turned to a whole new level of bad. He made her stand up and turned the game into something more elaborate than it had to be. There were little twigs on either side of their playing area, splitting them into teams: kits versus apprentices, and explaining that each team had to protect their twig and if the moss ball touched their twig, the other team got a point. It was grueling.

Stormeye looked rather pleased with himself as he lead Fallenpaw towards the clearing near the twoleg nest; they were to meet with Redfang and Goldpaw for battle training until dusk, when they'd go on patrol. Fallenpaw wasn't excited to see Redfang, the cat who was meant to mentor her, mentor some kittypet rather than herself. And working with him after playing a silly kits' game would surely be demoting, considering his kit-like temperament. According to the other apprentices, he was an absolute joy to work with because he would make each exercise that would seem difficult and pointless into a game, that deterred her from wanting to work with him. Warriors weren't meant to play like kits all day, if they were, StarClan wouldn't have cats grow up.

Fallenpaw growled quietly at the thought of Goldpaw's kit-like behavior; it was obviously an attribute from being a kittypet, all those fat, lazy-

"We're here." Stormeye announced, tearing Fallenpaw from her thoughts.

She gave a mere nod, her eyes still hard and sharp from thinking of the gold tabby. Training with him was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, she'd seen enough of him that day already.

**Hi! Wow, it takes me almost no time to type these, I mean I only spent like an hour writing this, the ideas all just flow out nicely... anyhow, I meant to say this last time, but it slipped my mind. Each review that I get (positive or constructive criticism, none of that negative junk) makes me just want to write more and more for this story! I really like the overall concept of the plot (thanks again Katie!), so be expecting another faster update, because this story is all I can think about.**

**-Spotty **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6:

_The wind picks up..._

"Is that all you've got, kittypet?" Fallenpaw sneered into Goldpaw's ear as they fought each other; Fallenpaw pinning the massive apprentice.

Goldpaw ignored her comment, his eyes still glittering as he wormed his way out from under Fallenpaw's lithe form, which surprised her; Goldpaw was bulky, all muscle while Fallenpaw was a tad petite who relied on speed and intelligence rather than strength.

"I'm full of surprises, Fallenpaw." Goldpaw replied simply, ramming into her side.

Fallenpaw's eyes widened in surprise as she slammed into the soft earth. Out of instinct, she kicked at his shoulder, forcing the large apprentice to sway to the opposite side. A smirk grew on his features, watching her attempt to get up only to be pinned by him. He lowered his muzzle to her face, giving a light bite to the neck before whispering in her ear, "is that all you've got, pureblood?"

Her lips drew back into a snarl, her fangs fastening onto Goldpaw's cheek. The tom's orbs widened in surprise, whipping his head away from hers. "I've got a lot more fire than this!" She hissed, twisting around in her own skin, wriggling out of his grip.

As she got up, her eyes locked with Stormeye's for a brief moment; his gaze was secluded, locked away, as he was completely amerced in her mock fight.

Fallenpaw let out a squeak when Goldpaw roughly shoved her back to the ground, his eyes glinting with amusement. Slightly dazed, Fallenpaw swatted at his face, catching him off guard, giving her just enough time to get back up. She looked at his broad shoulders, feeling the urge to leap onto them and sink her claws in. Fallenpaw then recalled what'd happened when Stormeye shook her off his shoulders earlier; of course, she'd gotten back at him. She dodged another pounce, refusing to get pinned just after she'd gotten away. Fallenpaw growled softly under her breath, swiftly maneuvering to his side and roughly swiping a sheathed paw across his side flank. She was pleased to see the slightly shocked expression Goldpaw wore. Fallenpaw aimed to throw another strike when Redfang interrupted her.

"Enough." His calm, yet assertive meow rang in the air.

Both apprentices stopped immediately. As soon as she stopped moving, the exhaustion hit her hard, panting a little as she awaited the deputy's next words.

Instead, Stormeye spoke, "well done. I'm impressed with both of you two, you'd both give ThunderClan a run for their mice tails."

Redfang nodded his agreement, "you two should get back to camp, get some fresh-kill and rest up; either Stormeye or myself will get you two for the patrol."

XXX

Goldpaw and Fallenpaw had walked back to camp together without their mentors, who'd stayed behind to talk about something.

Fallenpaw was glad that she'd tired him out during the mock fight, as he didn't talk very much during the walk back.

Once they got back, the two went straight for the fresh-kill pile, grateful that a hunting patrol had just come back with a good amount of freshly-caught prey. Fallenpaw selected a plump starling, a fresh-kill she'd started to crave, and took it to the small pine sapling that grew beside the apprentices' den.

She slowly took a bite, not knowing whether to cringe or purr at the first few bites of the starling; the first bite was more feathery than fleshy. Fallenpaw was never a cat to pluck all the larger feathers out of her prey, it consumed far too much time and effort in her opinion. Gagging up a rather large flight feather, Fallenpaw took another bite, happy to taste less feathers as she reached the center of the smaller bird. The blood made her mouth water, enticing her to eat more and more, ignoring the feathers as she finished it off. Fallenpaw licked the crimson from her jaws, her eyes drifting to mess that resided at her paws. Her purring slowed, a scattered mess of blood and feathers sat before her, dirtying the popular place of eating for ShadowClan apprentices. Flicking her ears in annoyance, she quickly covered the gore with a quick swipe at the boggy ground, the mud swallowing up the mess.

Her eyes drifted to the sky: it had darkened rather quickly, Redfang and Stormeye would be coming at any moment to fetch her and Goldpaw. By the sound of it, the two warriors planned to take only her and Goldpaw on the patrol, no one else. Her mind wandered to what border they'd be patrolling. It'd most likely be the RiverClan border, as ShadowClan wasn't on good terms with ThunderClan and it wouldn't be wise to take such a small number of cats, especially since half of them were inexperienced apprentices.

Her ears sunk onto her skull at the feel of fur brushing with hers, if it was Crookedpaw or one of her siblings she wouldn't care, but she could tell just by the softer feel of the fur that it was Goldpaw, and she didn't want to come into contact with impure blood.

The gold tabby tom settled beside her, their fur barely brushing, but it was enough to anger Fallenpaw. She let out a low, quiet growl and scooted away from her fellow apprentice. Goldpaw didn't seem to notice her discomfort.

"Ready for patrol?" He asked, his gaze shimmering with excitement.

She rolled her eyes, "I guess."

"I hope we see something exciting on the way, like maybe those two kittypets that like to cause trouble, I wouldn't mind chasing them away-"

"Just like a kittypet to think about other kittypets." Fallenpaw muttered crossly.

Goldpaw fell silent before trying again, "what about a ThunderClan or RiverClan warrior?"

Fallenpaw's ear twitched. "Perhaps," she began, flexing her claws at the thought of ripping them through enemy fur, "I wouldn't mind shedding ThunderClan or RiverClan blood."

He gave her a slightly amused look. "I thought you'd say that."

Fallenpaw shot him a glare, her jaws opening to retort when Stormeye's meow interrupted her.

"Fallenpaw, Goldpaw, time to leave." He said curtly, beckoning the two young cats towards the thorn bush passage that led into the territory.

Not casting Goldpaw another glance, Fallenpaw got to her paws and padded after her mentor, her pelt burning with anger and embarrassment at Goldpaw's last comment. He definitely didn't know her, not at all.

Redfang was waiting just outside the bushes, his eyes calm, not betraying any emotion as he awaited the other three cats. Stormeye stood beside him, his gaze traveling back and forth from Goldpaw to Fallenpaw. Fallenpaw moved towards Redfang, him being her favorite cat from the petite group.

After a moment, Redfang spoke. "We will be doing a brief patrol of the ThunderClan border, we must have cats on that border at all times, and a patrol just came back. We need to get our there, Darkstar's orders."

Goldpaw shrugged, "alright, we can do that."

"We? There is no we." Fallenpaw spat crossly, her tail lashing fiercely behind her.

Stormeye shot her a glare. "Apologize."

Fallenpaw hissed, "why should I apologize for something I don't regret?"

Stormeye parted his jaws, only for Redfang to interrupt. "Stormeye, discipline your apprentice after the patrol."

The black and white tom dipped his head, his gaze still hard as he stared at his apprentice.

Once Redfang and Goldpaw began to walk towards the border, Stormeye forced Fallenpaw to hang back so he could talk to her about her 'absurd' behavior.

"Who do you think you are?" He asked softly, not wanting Redfang to interrupt him once more.

"I know that I am Fallenpaw, daughter of Darkstar. Who do you think you are?" Fallenpaw retorted, wearing a confident smirk.

"Fallenpaw." Stormeye growled, his tone laced with warning.

"What do you want me to say? I am Fallenpaw, the unfortunate apprentice of Stormeye, who is apparently the most important cat in the forest?" Fallenpaw snarled, her ears resting on her skull as her gums pulled back to reveal her still-sharp, unstained white fangs.

"I hear you two." Redfang called from ahead.

Fallenpaw could almost feel the frustration seeping out of Stormeye's pelt as she walked beside the younger warrior.

Stormeye fell silent for a brief moment before hissing into her ear, "just remember, you're no better than a kittypet fresh out of a twoleg nest. Any cat can become a warrior if they try hard enough."

"Yes," Fallenpaw admitted softly, "any cat can wear a warrior's name, but how good of a warrior will these cats be, Stormeye? How loyal of a warrior? How do you know that Lucy, Whiteheart, or Goldpaw or any of his siblings wouldn't bolt at the face of danger or death? For StarClan's sake, Lucy doesn't even have a real name! You should just remember that only a pureblooded warrior can be trusted."

Before Stormeye could reply, Fallenpaw sped up to walk beside Redfang, who'd fallen silent after chiding at Stormeye for lecturing her on a patrol. Goldpaw stared at his paws, causing an unexpected wave of guilt to slam into her. Never had her words silenced him, no matter how harsh or cruelly she said them. Fallenpaw shook her head, surely it was just because Redfang was there that he wasn't being freakishly annoying. Satisfied with that answer, the guilt slowly drifted away, making her feel as though it had never hit her.

XXX

The stench of ThunderClan was overpowering, it had been for a good part of the way to the border. There was no doubt in Fallenpaw's mind that ThunderClan had trespassed more than once on their territory.

"Mark here, I can't tell if you two know where exactly the border is, and I don't need Adderstar thinking we gave her more territory." Redfang growled, marking a larger rock beside a pine tree.

Fallenpaw nodded, marking near where Redfang had to make sure that ThunderClan got a good whiff of ShadowClan. Goldpaw and Stormeye followed, each marking very closely to the other, it was almost like the three of them thought the same thing. Fallenpaw barely suppressed a gag when she marked over a ThunderClan cat's marker. She couldn't bear the smell, it was truly the worst thing she'd ever smelled, even RiverClan smelled better.

"Fallenpaw?" Crookedpaw's familiar meow flooded her ears, stopping just as she was about to mark another pine.

Crookedpaw's darker tabby pelt came into view as he padded from the shade of the pines.

The pale gray she-cat shot a look in his direction, the brown tom held a limp pheasant in his jaws, pride sparkling in his eyes. Soon, all four of the cats had stopped marking to at least cast Crookedpaw a glance.

"Nice catch." Fallenpaw purred, staring some-what enviously at the plump bird.

Stormeye nodded in agreement, "that'll feed all of the apprentices, Crookedpaw."

Goldpaw for once did not compliment his denmate. Fallenpaw tore her gaze away from her friend to look at the gold tabby. His eyes were clouded, any emotion sealed away from nosy eyes; his ears twitched, as though he was trying his best to keep them from resting atop his skull; and he was slightly hunched over, his head residing in front of his white chest.

Shaking her head, Fallenpaw glanced back at Crookedpaw. "Where'd you catch it?" She asked eagerly.

Crookedpaw set the pheasant on the ground to free up his jaws. "Right around here, actually, it came here from ThunderClan territory." He purred.

"Good, put those mange-pelts in their place." Redfang muttered.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Redfang." An eerily calm growl stated.

Fallenpaw immediately snapped her head around to see an ebony she-cat she recognized to be Grasswing, accompanied by Runningstorm, Swiftpath, Sagepaw, Mousetail, Badgerclaw, and Russetpaw; each wore a look of pure malice.

Redfang stepped closer, baring his chipped, yellowing fangs, "here to trespass, BlunderClan?"

Grasswing followed his action, sinking into her haunches, her emerald eyes glimmering with hatred. "That pheasant is ThunderClan prey," she snarled, "we are simply here to take what is ours."

"No, Crookedpaw caught it on ShadowClan territory." Fallenpaw hissed, her tail moving in sharp, whip-like motions.

"Fallenpaw." Stormeye warned.

Grasswing wore a smirk, "see? Even he agrees with me."

Stormeye's eyes flashed, "I never said that, I just don't want a border skirmish."

The black she-cat drank up his words, slinking closer, her clanmates steadily following her lead. "I never would've taken ShadowClan as a clan of kittypets." She sneered.

Fallenpaw's eyes darkened, baring her clean white fangs, ready to dirty them. "You're the clan of kittypets!" She snarled, "you've always been! I bet you're at least half kittypet!"

"Says the cat in the clan that has a cat called 'Lucy'. I think that speaks for itself." Grasswing said icily.

Fallenpaw snarled and leapt, landing squarely on the deputy's shoulders.

"Fallenpaw!" Stormeye yowled, running towards the deputy of ThunderClan and his apprentice, only to be intercepted by Badgerclaw.

Goldpaw's eyes blazed with an unspoken hatred, running into the fray.

Crookedpaw quickly abandoned his catch in the safety of the pines, tackling Russetpaw.

Redfang joined last, aiming for Grasswing, knowing that an inexperienced cat like Fallenpaw wouldn't last long in a fight with a senior warrior like Grasswing. Swiftpath and Sagepaw put an end to that thought.

Fallenpaw rooted her claws into the deputy's flank, earning a snarl of pain and hatred from Grasswing, who quickly threw her off. Suddenly thinking back to her training session with Stormeye, Fallenpaw played dead, waiting for the black she-cat to take the bait. It didn't take long. Grasswing leapt atop her, throwing a quick swipe to her ear. The searing pain urged Fallenpaw to smack Grasswing's large head, smirking as she recoiled. Giving an excited snarl, Fallenpaw then raked her underbelly, crimson leaking onto Fallenpaw's stomach. Grasswing's eyes blazed as her jaws fastened around Fallenpaw's throat. Panicking, Fallenpaw flailed around, hoping to squeeze out from under her like she had with Goldpaw earlier that morning. Grasswing wasn't having it.

Fallenpaw emitted a squeal of surprise when the deputy lifted her still small body into her jaws, shaking her as though Fallenpaw was a mere squirrel or rabbit. Fallenpaw swiped aimlessly in the hopes to land a hit to her eyes or something sensitive that'd make her let her go. Once more, Fallenpaw remained unlucky.

She didn't notice when Stormeye flew at Grasswing until she slammed into the soft earth, skidding a few fox-tail lengths like she usually did when she was thrown in training. Her vision blurred, showing her mere shapes of the battle. Fallenpaw made one final error: she closed her eyes.

XXX

Fallenpaw awoke to the sharp and bitter scent of herbs. Her body felt stiff as she opened her eyes, her eyes adjusting to the darker den. A familiar shape loomed over her, the scent telling her that it was Tawnypaw. Her blue orbs met Tawnypaw's. Her brown and black body seemed to give a sigh of relief when she realized that her clanmate was awake.

"Fallenpaw, oh thank StarClan you're alright! Everyone's been worried sick about you-" Tawnypaw began.

"What do you mean?" Fallenpaw asked, her eyes narrowing into snake-like slits.

"You don't remember?" She asked.

"The border fray? Yeah I remember, what happened?" Fallenpaw pressed.

"Well, according to the cats at the fight, after you got... tossed... Crookedpaw went after Grasswing, and he won. That's why Darkstar's giving him his warrior name early." Tawnypaw announced, her eyes shining with pride for her brother.

"W-what? But he's only been training for three or so moons! He's too young." Fallenpaw insisted, her heart twisting at the thought of not having Crookedpaw's pelt pressed against hers at night.

Tawnypaw shrugged, "Darkstar says he's big for his age, and he can clearly fight and he's loyal to ShadowClan, so why not?"

"What's his new name?" Fallenpaw asked, her heart dropping further as she realized that she may have missed the ceremony.

Crookedpaw's sister purred, "well, he asked Darkstar to wait until you were well-enough to watch the ceremony."

Fallenpaw's pelt flushed. "That was kind of him."

"You left out the part about the loner." Yarrowtail muttered, alerting Fallenpaw of her presence.

Fallenpaw's ears laid back at the word 'loner'. "What loner?" She asked.

"Well, the patrol was getting overwhelmed by ThunderClan's, and... this she-cat just showed up out of no-where, honestly," Tawnypaw meowed, acting as though she had actually been there, "she's real pretty, you know? Has a nice mottled pelt sort of like Mottleface's, just... better."

"Cut to the chase." Fallenpaw hissed.

"Basically, she helped our patrol beat ThunderClan's." Tawnypaw muttered.

"Who is she?" Fallenpaw asked.

"She called herself Forest."

**Yay! Another one done! There you are, Forestclaw, I added you in ;). Alright, so basically, thanks for all the supporting reviews, they really encourage me and- I sound like a broken record player! Okay, well here's some new news that you guys might actually care about! I have a poll up on my account regarding Fallenpaw's warrior name, and I'd appreciate it if you guys would vote!**

**-Spotty **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7:

_The clouds rumble their prayers…_

Tawnypaw had Fallenpaw's full attention. "A rogue? Why would a rogue help us?" She hissed, her eyes growing round.

"Loner," Tawnypaw corrected, "Forest has apparently been watching ShadowClan for a while now, not in a creepy way, but in an admiring way. She's asked to join ShadowClan."

Fallenpaw's eyes narrowed into slits, "we don't need any more kittypets in this clan-"

"She's a loner, not a kittypet." Tawnypaw muttered, earning a glare from Fallenpaw.

"Surely Darkstar turned her down, right?" Fallenpaw asked, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice.

Tawnypaw shook her head, "he hasn't announced it yet. He's waiting until Crookedpaw's ceremony, I think it's to preserve ShadowClan's pride."

Fallenpaw gave a frustrated growl, "well I guess I'm never going to get better than. If I never leave this den, then Crookedpaw never gets his name, and the kittypet doesn't get her answer."

She rolled her blue orbs, "I'll go tell Crookedpaw you're up and ready."

Before Fallenpaw could protest, the brown and black cat left the den, leaving just Fallenpaw and Yarrowtail in the den.

The two sat in a deep silence until Yarrowtail finally spoke, "she left something else out."

Fallenpaw stared at the gray she-cat, urging her silently to continue.

"You know Stormeye, right?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Fallenpaw replied, starting to get irritated with the older she-cat. "He's an annoying pain in the tail that just happens to be my mentor."

Yarrowtail kept quiet for a moment as she had a mouth full of oak leaves. Setting the leaves down, she faced the pale gray apprentice. "You wouldn't be here if he didn't stand over you and fend off Grasswing."

Fallenpaw fell silent, staring at her paws in shock, her hatred for ThunderClan growing. "Why would they attack me if I was already defeated?" She asked, wincing at the word 'defeated'.

Her eyes flashed, "you're missing the point! He saved you for reasons I don't know. You treat that cat like a pile of fox-dung, you know that right? Honestly, if Foxtail acted like that and we were put in that position, I might just have let Grasswing knock him around more before or if I were to save him. You really need to change your attitude towards him, at least thank him for saving you. And he even hung around my den for a while during the time that I was treating you. He actually cares for you, you know."

Guilt washed over her pelt for a brief moment as she recalled the past moon and a half of her training with Stormeye; even as a kit she'd been rude to him. However, the guilt disappeared when she thought about how _he _had reacted to her rudeness. Instead of scolding her every time, he could've taken a different approach.

"Did you hear me?" Yarrowtail repeated, her voice sharp.

Fallenpaw rolled her eyes, "yeah."

She shook her head slowly, leering at the pale gray she-cat before turning back to her freshly dried herbs. "Ungrateful little flea-pelt." Yarrowtail muttered.

"Whatever. I'm going to talk to Crookedpaw." Fallenpaw growled, getting out of the moss-nest that Yarrowtail had provided her. She winced at the feeling of movement, her flank screaming for her to stop. It tempted her, but there was no way she was going to stick around and listen to Yarrowtail.

XXX

Fallenpaw looked around the camp, ignoring her clanmates as they would ask their questions, wondering if she was okay, or why she had attacked Grasswing rather than Sagepaw or Russetpaw. She was in no mood to answer them. Fallenpaw just wanted to see the good-for-nothing kittypet who thought they were good enough to join ShadowClan, _her clan. _

The alleged 'help' that had 'rescued' her patrol was nowhere in sight, but Crookedpaw was, with Tawnypaw by his side. His eyes seemed to brighten at her presence. He left his sister practically in mid-conversation and padded over to her, his slightly twisted paw giving him a unique gait.

"You're okay!" He purred, stopping by her, looking Fallenpaw's scraped up pelt over. "I guess Yarrowtail and Foxtail were right… you just looked way worse when you came into camp, all bloody and just… broken-looking."

Fallenpaw shrugged. "It wasn't that bad, I just hit my head on the way down. And I don't care what everyone else says, I'm proud that I drew first blood." She growled, expecting the comment to come up in either ThunderClan or her own clan.

Crookedpaw gave her an amused look, "that seems about right, you've always rushed into things, even when we were kits you'd always be the first to chase after the moss ball or call being clan leader."

She scoffed, "well of course! I couldn't let Goldpaw or any of his siblings be a leader, not of ShadowClan at least."

His purr faded, "you've also never liked outsiders. But in all honesty, I think you're going to like Forest, she's a good cat."

Fallenpaw's ears rested on her skull, "she could be the best cat in the whole wide world, Crookedpaw, but I'll never like her, just know that."

Crookedpaw sighed, "at least give her a chance-"

"She's not ShadowClan, and she never will be. Neither will Lucy, Whiteheart, Goldpaw, Sunpaw, or Shinepaw. They'll all falter soon enough, just you watch." Fallenpaw hissed.

Knowing he couldn't change her mind, he changed tactics. "So… what do you think my new name's going to be?"

"Crookedfoot, I have no doubts." Fallenpaw purred, wearing a smirk.

He rolled his eyes and cuffed her lightly on the ear. "I hope not, if I get 'foot' it's no better than 'paw'. They're basically the same thing, foot just sounds weirder. I'm hoping for Crooked-"

"Foot." Fallenpaw purred, finishing his sentence.

He gave her a playful snarl, "you know that's not what I was going to say."

Fallenpaw purred in amusement, her blue orbs locking with his green.

The two stared at each other, seeming lost in the moment until Darkstar's words rattled their heads, snapping them out the slight trance.

"Any cat who is able to catch his or her own prey gather beneath the great pine for a clan meeting!" Darkstar yowled, racing up the tree like a squirrel.

Fallenpaw jumped at his voice, her heart speeding up in the fear that 'Forest' or whatever she was called would be accepted into the already tainted clan.

The dark colored tom stared down at his clan, his gaze unreadable. The clan assembled rather quickly, murmuring excitedly to one another, some about Crookedpaw's warrior ceremony, and others about Forest and her possible admittance to ShadowClan. Fallenpaw's claws sunk into the boggy ground, wanting to catch a glimpse of the loner, but also wanting her to run away with her tail tucked between her legs with several warriors tailing her, threatening her during the whole chase. Realizing that Crookedpaw was sitting down along with most of the clan, Fallenpaw sat down beside Crookedpaw, staring up at her father.

"ShadowClan," he began, "as you know, we've been having problems with Adderstar's cats."

He waited as cats exchanged bitter words regarding the subject before continuing. "And one of our patrols was attacked by a large group of ThunderClan cats, we were outnumbered and," Darkstar paused, tensing up as though he didn't want to continue, "were losing the fight. We might've lost cats and territory if Forest, a loner, hadn't aided the patrol, and after talking to her, I have decided to let Forest into ShadowClan."

Shocked and excited purrs and hisses filled the clearing, some happy about the new member, others outraged. Fallenpaw was among the outraged.

"Forest, come forward." Darkstar commanded, looking at his den.

A mottled she-cat with a white chest and underbelly that looked to be just a little older than Crookedpaw and Tawnypaw padded out, her head held high. Fallenpaw barely suppressed a purr, as she could clearly sense the fear and nervousness seeping off her pelt.

Darkstar's dark amber eyes never left her until she stopped in front of the pine; it was obviously rehearsed, as a loner would've naturally stood just a few fox-tails away from the hoard of ShadowClan cats.

"Forest, you have chosen to train with us, and since you are not very familiar with our customs, you must be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Forestpaw. Your mentor will be Owlfeather. I hope Owlfeather will pass down all he knows on to you." Darkstar finished, nodding at the warrior to come forward.

The newly named Forestpaw's eyes flashed a mixture of fear and excitement as the gray ShadowClan cat neared the pine, his amber eyes gleaming as he approached his new apprentice.

Darkstar turned to the gray tom, his eyes still revealing nothing, no pride, no excitement, no embarrassment, nothing. "Owlfeather, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You had received excellent training from myself when I was a warrior, and you have shown yourself to be an excellent night hunter and swift fighter. You will be the mentor of Forestpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." He finished, nodding at the tom to touch noses with the new apprentice.

Owlfeather touched his nose rather roughly and sloppily to Forestpaw's before leading her to a place in the crowd where Fallenpaw couldn't see her. Her tail lashed behind her, furious that Owlfeather had been so accepting of a… a _kittypet._ She didn't care what everyone called her, Forestpaw was a kittypet, she could tell from her filled out form, the she-cat didn't seem thin and hungry like most rogues and loners did.

Her father's words snapped her from the criticizing thoughts. "Now, I have one more announcement. Crookedpaw fought bravely during the ambush earlier today-"

Fallenpaw suppressed a snarl at his remark; if anything, _she _had ambushed ThunderClan, not the other way around.

"-and it is time for him to become a warrior. Crookedpaw, come forward." Darkstar demanded, his gaze fastening on the tom.

Fallenpaw gave him a bright, warm look as he padded away from her side, stopping at the base of the great pine and looking up at Darkstar. Darkstar climbed down the tree and faced the tom. He was still noticeably larger than Crookedpaw, but he and the clan seemed to condone it.

Darkstar stared at Crookedpaw, his eyes boring into the apprentice as he began the ceremony. "I, Darkstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn," he began, his gaze never leaving Crookedpaw, "Crookedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Crookedpaw gave a quick nod, his expression unreadable as he spoke his part. "I do." He answered.

Darkstar seemed satisfied with his simple answer that all apprentices gave. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Crookedpaw, from this moment you will be known as Crookedclaw. StarClan honors your forethought and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Crookedclaw finally betrayed some emotion: relief and excitement.

The clan started chanting his name, Fallenpaw and Tawnypaw being the loudest. "Crookedclaw! Crookedclaw! Crookedclaw!"

The newly named warrior basked in the praise of his clanmates as they all flooded around him, murmuring their congratulations. Runningstream, his mother, and Quailflight, his former mentor, were among the first to reach him. Fallenpaw wove between her clanmates and reached him soon after, her eyes gleaming as she congratulated him.

**Hello! Okay, so that last line sort of sucked, but oh well! Well, so far the leading name in the poll for Fallenpaw's warrior name is Fallenflame, which is just barely beating Fallensnow by one vote. Fallenleaf and Fallenrain currently have no votes, so if no one votes for those two in another three days I think I will take them off the poll completely and have Fallensnow and Fallenflame battle it out. Oh, and one last thing before I give my broken record player thanks for the reviews, I wouldn't mind asking for some predictions… I like hearing them! So anyhow, thanks for reviewing, I love them all!**

**~Spotty**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8:

_Droplets form, ready to fall on the unsuspecting… _

Fallenpaw sat in the mouth of the apprentices' den, her paws folded neatly beneath her chest with her tail wrapped around her body, watching the rain fall. Yarrowtail and Foxtail wanted Fallenpaw to take it easy for the next few days so her wounds wouldn't reopen during training, they weren't severe, it was more so no infection could set in from her falling in the dirt. Stormeye still took her out, just for more relaxed sessions for short periods of time. She would resume her regular training tomorrow, Stormeye didn't want to start Fallenpaw up out of the fear that she would reopen everything again, but she pestered him until he said yes.

Crookedclaw had sat vigil two nights earlier and had settled rather nicely into the warriors' den. Fallenpaw missed having him around and not training with him anymore, but she knew in time she would join him in the warriors' den.

The pale gray she-cat's head shot up when she saw Tawnypaw come into camp, a large toad dangling from her jaws. Even though she didn't know Tawnypaw all that well, she was desperate to talk to a cat who wasn't Stormeye or the medicine cats.

"Tawnypaw!" She called, getting the brown and black she-cat's attention.

She flicked her ears in acknowledgement and dropped her catch onto the near-empty fresh-kill pile. Tawnypaw padded towards the apprentices' den, purring loudly with her eyes bright.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Fallenpaw asked curiously.

"Nothing." She purred, her eyes dancing with amusement and excitement.

She got to her paws, "come on, Tawnypaw, what is it?"

"I'm not allowed to say." Tawnypaw purred, her tail twitching.

"Tawnypaw!" Fallenpaw pleaded, suddenly feeling stupid; since when did she beg?

"StarClan you're not making this easy." Tawnypaw meowed, staring at her own paws, as though she was scared to look at her denmate.

"That's sort of the point here." She muttered, staring at Tawnypaw.

"This is dangerous, I'll get killed if I tell you! I'm going hunting now." Tawnypaw purred jokingly, turning away from Fallenpaw.

"Looks like you've got yourself a hunting partner." Fallenpaw smirked, following the brown and black cat out of the den.

"Yeah, Deerpaw's going with me." Tawnypaw stated.

"Well if my sister's going, I don't see why I can't." Fallenpaw shrugged.

She sighed, "fine, Deerpaw's not going with me."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah… she's out with Thornstep." Tawnypaw admitted, sheepishly looking at her paws.

"That's what I thought- wait? Thornstep? He isn't her mentor." Fallenpaw growled, her eyes narrowing into snake-like slits.

"It's probably nothing, you're over reacting. Besides, even if there was something going on, it wouldn't be horrible. Thornstep's a young warrior, he was still an apprentice when Crookedclaw and I were just starting out. You remember, right? You and Deerpaw were wee little four-moon olds when Thornstep was still being trained." Tawnypaw reasoned.

Fallenpaw hissed, "well I don't like him snooping around with my sister, young or old."

"You're acting like an over-protective brother, and you're a she-cat. Leave all the worrying to Pinepaw." Tawnypaw said, dismissing the thoughts with a flick of her tail.

She was going to hiss to her that Pinepaw wouldn't care enough to do something about it, but the more she thought about it, she liked it. If Deerpaw and Thornstep got together, chances are they'd have kits, then Deerpaw would have a lower chance of becoming Redfang's replacement. Now if only she could find Forestpaw a tom… then she'd have a lower chance of becoming ShadowClan's Firestar.

XXX

The hunting session went well, despite it being the very beginning of leaf-fall, both she-cats caught a decent hull which consisted primarily of toad, who were eager to stay out as long as possible before they would have to burrow beneath the earth during leaf-bare. The pair only went back to camp because the moon was coming into view.

"What are we going to do with the rest?" Tawnypaw asked, her jaws filled with toad.

Fallenpaw shrugged, "we can come back for it in the morning. I doubt anything's going to dig them up."

Tawnypaw nodded, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion, as she had been out all day.

XXX

The camp would've been empty if Stormeye hadn't been waiting in the clearing. Fallenpaw's stomach churned, as though she knew she was going to get chided at for no reason. And Yarrowtail wondered why she wouldn't thank the tom for protecting her against Grasswing; just that phrase made her blood boil, she _had her_. If she hadn't been so stupid as to jump on the ThunderClan deputy's shoulders Fallenpaw was certain she would've won and humiliated that pile of fox-dung in front of her own patrol.

"Fallenpaw," he began, his voice sharp and commanding, "what are you doing out?"

Her ears laid themselves back on her skull, Fallenpaw's tail motioning for Tawnypaw to go. The she-cat didn't need to be told twice, dropping her catches onto the fresh-kill pile and high-tailing it into the apprentices' den.

"Hunting." She said as coolly as she could, barely holding back her temper as she set the toads down so she could speak properly.

"You're supposed to be healing." He hissed.

"I've healed enough, these scabs aren't falling off." Fallenpaw growled, flashing him the closed wounds on her flank.

"If I hadn't caught you hunting without my nor Yarrowtail's and Foxtail's consent, I would've let you help with Rowanpaw's and Shadepaw's and Tawnypaw's hunting assessment tomorrow. But once again, you've disobeyed me and have lost that privilege!" He snarled, "you will not train until your wounds completely close!"

Fallenpaw lost it. "What in StarClan's name did I do to deserve this? I've listened to your for StarClan knows how long, only for you to rebuke my chances of becoming a warrior early like Crookedclaw just because I was hunting for my clan! I hate you, Stormeye! I hate you with all my heart!" She yowled angrily, turning to run out into ShadowClan territory once more.

She caught a final glimpse of Stormeye as she left, only to be shocked and befuddled at the rare emotion she had caught in Stormeye's gaze: _hurt. _

XXX

Fallenpaw ran through the territory, not caring where she was going, she just had to get away from Stormeye. How dare he prohibit her from helping with a warrior assessment? Then she would know what to expect for her own! Maybe one of the other warriors would see Fallenpaw's abilities and decide that she too was ready to wear the name of a warrior. She didn't nor would she ever care if or how badly she hurt his feelings. Stormeye was the vain of her existence, the cat that held her back from _everything. _She didn't know why Yarrowtail would defend him and insist that she thank him for saving her. Fallenpaw was a member of ShadowClan, and Stormeye was her clanmate. Clanmates protect each other. If it had been Crookedclaw or Redfang she would've thanked her rescuer, but Stormeye and Goldpaw… they should never expect any thanks from Fallenpaw ever.

Fallenpaw finally stopped when she hit the lake. Her chest heaved as it called air back into her lungs. She padded onto the neutral strip that ran along the edge of the lake, staring into the large body of water. An angry, defeated-looking cat stared back at her. She flinched at the sight and stuttered backwards, struggling to stay on her paws. Her ears rested against her skull, her eyes wild. Surely she didn't look like that, right? She worked so hard to keep a calm, collected appearance.

"Well, well, well. Look what the kittypet dragged in." A meow snickered.

Fallenpaw glared in the direction of the voice, her eyes narrowing when the stench of ThunderClan wafted into her nose, assaulting her senses. She hissed, not knowing if it was a warrior or apprentice yet. Her hiss turned into a snarl when she identified the ThunderClan cat. It was Badgerclaw, who had been on the patrol that Fallenpaw had just fought with.

"What do you want, mange-pelt?" She snarled.

The tom looked slightly surprised when he actually laid eyes on her. "Erm, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? On my own territory? I think I should be asking the questions. I'm on my own turf, and you're here acting like you own the whole lake. Mange-pelt, you are walking on thin-ice." She hissed, her tail whipping around behind her.

He put on a look of false innocence, his eyes full of mock amusement. "Me? Tresspassing? I think not. I'm on neutral grounds."

She bared her fangs at the tom. "That rule only comes into effect if you are moving, passing through." Fallenpaw growled as she recited the laws that were put into place long ago.

Badgerclaw rolled his eyes and began pacing back and forth just in front of Fallenpaw. "There, I'm not breaking any rules now." He smirked.

She hissed, "you aren't traveling, that alone gives me permission to attack."

"Well if you can't even take Grasswing for more than a few seconds, what makes you think you can take me all by yourself? Stormeye isn't here to protect you anymore, little she-cat."

The way he said 'little she-cat' struck fear into Fallenpaw, something that rarely happens. Her mind immediately wandered to the darker possibilities, here was this big strong ThunderClan tom, alone at night with her, a small, young ShadowClan she-cat and no one knew she was at the lake. The great possibility of war made the scarring, evil thoughts look more real, the probability increasing dramatically in her mind.

The tom seemed to read her rather well, "don't worry, I'm not soulless. The worst I'll do is rough you up to teach you and your stuck-up clan a little lesson."

Her fear evaporated, "stuck-up? You think my clan, the best on the lake, is stuck-up?"

"You just conformed what I said, she-cat." Badgerclaw purred, his gaze unreadable.

She shook her head, "what are you doing here anyway?"

Badgerclaw ignored her. "You know, for a ShadowClan cat, you're not bad in the looks department."

Her stomach churned, Fallenpaw wanted to panic, but she pretended he never said it. "Well? Why in StarClan's name are you here?"

Badgerclaw growled in frustration, seeing that his flattery wasn't gripping Fallenpaw's attention. "It doesn't matter, I'm leaving now." He muttered, sulking back across the strip of neutral territory that led to ThunderClan land.

As soon as she convinced herself he was gone, Fallenpaw gave into her fear, allowing herself to tremble, she had never been so scared in her life. The she-cat raced deeper into her own territory, not caring if Badgerclaw came back, if he did, she wasn't going to deal with him. He was suggestive, big, and he bent and twisted what little sanity and patience she had left from the day.

Tired from running all the way to the lake and then from having a mental battle with Badgerclaw, Fallenpaw stopped, desperately trying to catch her breath.

"Fallenpaw?"

Fallenpaw knew immediately who it was. Blindly, she ran straight for the voice until she was there. She buried her face in Stormeye's chest and said the words she never thought she would say to Stormeye: "I'm sorry."

**Whoa! Double update! Why you ask? Because I'm awesome and I couldn't sit still because I've been thinking about this chapter for a while and I just couldn't do anything else. So I'm happy to say I already got some good little reviews on the chapter that I just put on, and yeah. Oh yeah, and here's an updated ShadowClan allegiance:**

Allegiances:

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Darkstar- Broad dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Redfang- Rough-pelted russet tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Goldpaw_

Medicine Cat: Yarrowtail- Gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

_Apprentice: Foxtail_

Warriors:

Dustclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Sunpaw_

Fogfur- Black she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Rowanpaw_

Owlfeather- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Forestpaw_

Redpool- Reddish she-cat with blue eyes

Scorchtalon- Large mottled tom with amber eyes

Bluethorn- Blue gray she-cat with blue eyes

Quailflight- Gray and brown she-cat with black specks and green eyes

Longtail- Black and white tom with an unusually long tail and green eyes

Lucy- A former kittypet; Fluffy white she-cat with bright amber eyes

_Apprentice: Tawnypaw_

Whiteheart- A former kittypet; Fluffy white tom with gray splotches and green eyes

Greenflower- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Mottleface- Brown and black mottled tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Shinepaw_

Flamepath- Russet she-cat with green eyes and white paws

_Apprentice: Pinepaw_

Runningstream- Brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Wildclaw- Black tom with blue eyes

Stormeye- Black and white tom with one green eye and one blue eye

_Apprentice: Fallenpaw_

Tornstem- Black and white tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Shadepaw_

Thornstep- Deep brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Marshfur- Black tom with a white muzzle and paws with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Deerpaw_

Crookedclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with a slightly twisted paw and green eyes

Queens:

Hailpelt- White and gray she-cat with green eyes; _Kits: Lillykit, Rosekit_

Apprentices:

Foxtail- Russet and black tom with green eyes

Rowanpaw- Pretty dark gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Tawnypaw- Black and brown she-cat with blue eyes

Shadepaw- White tom with gray patches and amber eyes

Pinepaw- Handsome dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deerpaw- White-dappled light brown she-cat with green eyes

Fallenpaw- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Goldpaw- Handsome gold tabby tom with a white chest and underbelly with blue eyes

Sunpaw- Handsome gold tabby tom with blue eyes

Shinepaw- Pretty ginger and white she-cat with blue eyes

Forestpaw- Brown and black mottled she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes

Elders:

Heathertail- Soft-pelted gray she-cat with green eyes

Adderfang- Dark-furred tabby tom with blue eyes

Rockclaw- Brown and white tom with amber eyes

**Wholly StarClan we have like eleven apprentice right now! I need to make Rowanpaw and Shadepaw and Tawnypaw warriors to get them out of the apprentices' den! It's so crowded!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9:

_The clouds fight to hold themselves together..._

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Tawnypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Tawnyfern. StarClan honors your intelligence and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Darkstar concluded, his eyes shining as he allowed Tawnyfern to lick his shoulder.

"Thank you, Darkstar, Lucy too." Tawnyfern meowed respectfully before trotting to join the newly named Shadespots and Rowanheart.

Fallenpaw watched proudly as her friend's name was chanted, almost forgetting to join in herself. "Shadespots, Rowanheart, Tawnyfern! Shadespots, Rowanheart, Tawnyfern! Shadespots, Rowanheart, Tawnyfern!"

The pale gray she-cat quickly wormed through the crowds, eager to win the bet that she and Crookedclaw had made earlier that day. Crookedclaw bet her two toads that he would beat her to Tawnyfern after her warrior ceremony, and Fallenpaw being Fallenpaw, had bet Crookedclaw four toads that she would beat him to Tawnyfern. She had no intention of catching Crookedclaw four toads, especially with the trees beginning to shed their leaves; hunting to fill the clan's fresh-kill pile was getting hard enough on its own.

As the moons had progressed, Fallenpaw had gotten noticeably larger, she was still a rather petite size, but she was large enough to shove past her clanmates without recoiling or stumbling. She pushed past Tornstem, earning a glare from the black and white tom; Fallenpaw stiffened as she remembered that Tornstem was Stormeye's brother.

Lately, Fallenpaw had been strangely obedient to Stormeye, almost as though the encounter with Badgerclaw had made her go blank during her training, just doing whatever he said, his commands ringing in her head, overtaking her own thoughts and opinions. Of course, when she was thinking straight, she would remember to anger him somehow, as she enjoyed frustrating him, it kept her busy. With whispers of battle arising in ShadowClan and high stress levels because of ThunderClan trespassing, toying with Stormeye's sanity kept her sane and somewhat happy, as though she was trying to elude the thought that there could be a bump along the road, a tragic on at that.

"Tawnyfern!" Fallenpaw yowled, quickly catching the attention of the newly named Tawnyfern.

The brown and black she-cat who'd become Fallenpaw's best friend over the past three moons purred when she saw her.

"Crookedclaw didn't beat me, right?" She asked hopefully.

"Nope." Tawnyfern replied, looking ever so slightly puzzled.

"Good." She purred.

"Tawnyfern! I beat Fallenpaw, right?" Crookedclaw's meow sounded from behind the new warrior.

His sister turned around, "no... what is it with you two today?"

The two cats ignored her, Fallenpaw giving a proud smirk whilst Crookedclaw wore a scowl, "I knew I didn't have a good enough spot."

"For what?" Tawnyfern asked, ignoring her mother, Runningstream, as she tried to talk to her.

Fallenpaw gave a purr of amusement, "Crookedclaw and I made a bet, and I won," she said, her attention turning to the brown tom, "and that means that you my friend owe me two toads."

XXX

"Fallenpaw, lift your tail more! You will trip on it in a real fight, you know that don't you? If you ever hope to become a warrior you will fix that." Stormeye muttered, assessing her form as she practiced her fighting.

The pale cat flattened her ears, but didn't hiss or snarl at him, instead raising her tail to the height that it would rest at had she been hunting instead.

He nodded in approval, "better. If we are to put those ThunderClan mage-pelts in their place, you along with all the other apprentices are going to have to know what you're doing. The seven of you are also going to have to be able to work together, which I know is particularly difficult for you, Fallenpaw. That's why Owlfeather and Forestpaw are meeting up with us."

That time Fallenpaw did hiss, unable to hide her strong disliking for the oldest apprentice. Although she had only been training for two moons, Forestpaw was nearly ready to receive her full name despite her short time in the clans. It was beyond Fallenpaw how a kittypet was able to earn a name so quickly... of course, she was positive that it would backfire on the mottled she-cat; it was all in a matter of time.

"... got that?" Stormeye asked, his gaze serious as he stared at his apprentice.

Fallenpaw blinked, her pelt burning with embarrassment, as she was put in this situation more than she should. "Erm, yes." She murmured, hoping it would just be one of his pointless lectures on how to treat clanmates with respect.

The tom's bi-colored eyes flashed, "you weren't listening, where you?"

She was preparing to dip her head in apology and politely ask him to repeat himself, but Fallenpaw didn't want to lose anymore of her dignity. "No."

Stormeye hissed in annoyance, his solid black tail lashing behind him. "Fallenpaw, at least be more polite in your answer. Apologize."

She rolled her eyes. "You got your apology two moons ago. You'll get another one the day you tell me you love me." She said sarcastically, her expression stubborn and somewhat smug as she stared him down.

Stormeye sighed and neared her, his gaze growing tired; he suddenly looked older than he was. "Fallenpaw, you're basically a full grown she-cat, aren't you? Pinepaw and Deerpaw are going to get assessed soon, and I want to say the same about you. However, as much as I would like to assess you as well, I refuse to be the former mentor of a kit-ish warrior with no respect for her own clanmates. All I need from you is to be more polite, which you're starting to do," he admitted, "but it's not enough. You can stay snarky, stubborn, and unpredictable, I know I cannot change that, but you can't go about life thinking that you're better than every other cat in the forest. So stop making those silly bets with Crookedclaw and deliberately disobeying me and behaving so rudely towards former kittypets, loners, and half-clan cats. They're here for a reason, Fallenpaw."

Fallenpaw stared at her mentor, clearly unfazed by the meaning of his speech. "You're thinking about putting me up for warrior testing?"

He hissed in annoyance, "Fallenpaw-"

"Stormeye! Fallenpaw!" The voice of Forestpaw called.

Both cats turned towards where the meow came from to see the mottled she-cat come weaving between the pines, her eyes wide in a mix of fear, horror, and excitement. "A ThunderClan patrol attacked one of our patrols! Sunpaw's dying and Darkstar is declaring war on ThunderClan! Owlfeather said to fetch you two." She panted.

Their squabble immediately forgotten, both cats raced past Forestpaw back to ShadowClan camp.

Sorry for the late update and weak, short chapter! Really, I am. I'm on vacation and I haven't had much time to write. Also, I'm working on a Pokemon Nuzlocke Challenge fanfic as well, so I've been dividing my time between Insanity and that. Okay, now for the poll check: Fallenflame and Fallensnow are tied at three-three. However, I consider Fallensnow to be winning simply because of the support that reviews are giving it! I'm taking the pole down soon, so if you really want Fallenpaw to become Fallenflame, I suggest you yell at me via reviews! Oh, and if you want Fallensnow to get even more support to drown out the Fallenflamers (see what I did there... oh good StarClan that was a bad pun...) you should show Fallensnow more support in the reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10:

_The first droplet falls..._

"StarClan, I demand you to look upon this apprentice. He has trained hard in the way of the code and has given his life for his clan. He deserves to join your ranks with the title of a warrior. Sunpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Sunblaze. ShadowClan... ShadowClan honors you for your loyalty and energy." Darkstar murmured, touching his nose to the newly named warrior's head.

"Sunblaze... Sunblaze... Sunblaze." The clan choked out, their gazes pitiful and sorrowful as they gazed at his pelt, watching the slow, choppy rhythm of his chest as it stuttered up and down.

Fallenpaw could only stare as Foxtail and Yarrowtail gently worked the crimson splattered tom towards their den. Her gaze was torn from Sunblaze's tattered figure when a tail rested across her shoulders. The pale she-cat expected the tail to belong to Crookedclaw, but was surprised by Stormeye.

"Go talk to him." Stormeye murmured, gesturing to Goldpaw, who sat apart from Shinepaw and Bluethorn, who were speaking in hushed voices by the Warriors' den; Yarrowtail had told the clan before Sunblaze's warrior ceremony that StarClan would be staking a claim to him soon, and that she and Foxtail wouldn't be able to do much for the gold tabby.

"But-" Fallenpaw began, ready to protest before her own conscious interrupted her. She knew that if that was Pinepaw or Deerpaw, she would want someone there, not to talk to her, but just to be there.

She gave him a nod, leaving her mentor's side, staring at her paws as she made her way towards her denmate. Not wanting to trip, Fallenpaw brought her head up to see that Goldpaw wasn't alone anymore; Forestpaw joined him. A bitterness washed over her, of course a kittypet would comfort a half-kittypet! Sighing, Fallenpaw felt the need to glare at Stormeye for making her feel sympathy for him. She didnt want to feel badly for him, but it was hard not to, as Sunblaze was losing his life that he could still be living had he joined his father rather than his mother. She hoped that his passing would be enough to get them to leave ShadowClan while they still had the chance; no kittypet could survive a clan war.

The clan's murmurs and infuriated expressions were interrupted by Darkstar. He was back on his perch atop of the great pine, his facial expression veiled by the budding darkness; his amber eyes gleamed with the savagery of a fox. "ShadowClan!" He bellowed, gaining his clan's attention.

"ThunderClan has pushed us too far!" He yowled, satisfied with his clan's response as they cried out in agreement.

"I don't know about all of you cats, but I am done being tormented by those kittypets! I say, we fight back!" Darkstar snarled, his ears flat against his skull and his tail thrashing behind him.

The clan sounded their battle cries, as though they expected to run straight into ThunderClan's camp and flay them at any moment.

Enraged, the ShadowClan leader leapt down from the pine and yowled for Redfang as he stalked into his den in the roots of the pine.

XXX

Stormeye had always told her that it was rude and dishonorable to eavesdrop, but Fallenpaw wasn't one for listening to her mentor. With her clan worrying over Sunblaze and getting rilled up about the upcoming war, it wouldn't be difficult for her to listen to at least some of it, as she knew that in the beginning, only the leader, deputy, and senior warriors would know about what Darkstar was planning.

The lithe she-cat crept around the pine towards her father's den's entrance, making sure not to give herself away. She heard her father's sharp, angry growl first.

"I say we go and attack their camp tonight!" Darkstar snarled.

"Well I say that it's foolish and rash to attack so soon after a border skirmish-"

"That was no skirmish, Redfang! That was murder! Adderstar killed Sunpaw!"

"Sunblaze is not dead, Darkstar. Not yet. And for all you know, it might've been your warriors that started the fight, cats can lie, you know, and with tension so high..." Redfang reasoned, his voice struggling to stay leveled.

"Are you accusing my warriors, your clanmates, of being dishonest? I'm starting to wonder if I have the right deputy! In fact, I think I'll change it right now, Redfang!" Her father snapped, running out of his den and straight up the pine, ignoring Fallenpaw completely.

"Darkstar, stop! Think this over more, your rage and grief is talking, not you!" Redfang yowled, racing after his leader only to stop, his limbs trembling under his weight, the tom's age catching up with him; he was in fact Dustclaw's older brother from a previous litter, making him one of the oldest cats in the clan. The russet tom would most likely be an elder by then had Darkstar not given him a deputy's title.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the great pine for a clan meeting!" The tom snarled, gathering most of ShadowClan rather easily, as a good amount of them had mulled around the clearing waiting for news on Sunblaze and the upcoming war on ThunderClan.

Fallenpaw hurried beside the nearest cats, which happened to be Forestpaw and Goldpaw. She didn't even notice that she was sitting beside two cats whom she strongly disliked.

"ShadowClan, I am horrified to say that my deputy, the next potential leader of ShadowClan, accused Sunblaze's patrol of lying about who started the fight!"

Fallenpaw blinked in confusion, only to realize that she and Stormeye had been absent from when the cats on Sunblaze's patrol had given the initial report.

Her clanmates' ears stuck to their skulls, with most peeling their lips back to reveal pink gums and yellowed, broken fangs as they snarled their disbelief. Cats turned their furious gazes to Redfang himself, who stared wide-eyed at his clan. "All I said was-"

"You don't trust us!" Darkstar interrupted, his tail lashing behind himself. "That is why I am stripping you of your deputyship!"

The clan screeched their agreement, their eyes gleaming with an unsustainable blood lust, as though they expected their leader to rip Redfang apart then and there. "No..." Fallenpaw heard Goldpaw murmur, "he didn't do anything, he's never done anything wrong."

The handsome gold and white tabby ran out in front of Darkstar, "my mentor did nothing wrong, you can't accuse him of not trusting us! He loves this clan, Darkstar! He'd die for any one of us!"

"Goldpaw! Get back." Redfang growled softly, "I don't want you getting into trouble."

"But-"

"I said get back!" The tom's mentor snarled, sending Goldpaw back towards Forestpaw and Fallenpaw, seeming slightly shaken by his mentor's tone.

Darkstar and the rest of the clan seemed to have not heard Goldpaw's outburst, much to Fallenpaw's relief. As much as she disliked Goldpaw and his siblings, Fallenpaw had decided that Sunblaze was punishment enough for him and Shinepaw; Goldpaw didn't need Darkstar's wrath on top of that.

"Redfang! You are no longer my deputy!" Darkstar spat, smirking at the ragged-looking russet tom's horrified expression. Not giving his former deputy any time to rebuke, he yowled another name. "Fogfur!"

The black she-cat stepped forwards, her blue eyes sparkling as though she foresaw this moment moons ago. "Yes, Darkstar?"

"Would you ever accuse a fellow ShadowClan cat of treason, dishonesty, and or disloyalty?" He asked sharply.

She shook her head rather quickly. "Never, Darkstar. I trust all of these cats, clanborn or adopted." Fogfur announced, her gaze lingering in Fallenpaw's direction; Fallenpaw was certain she was gesturing to Forestpaw and Goldpaw.

Darkstar nodded, "excellent. You will now take Redfang's place as deputy."

The clan looked pleased with Fogfur's answer and Darkstar's verdict, yowling their approval, "Fogfur! Fogfur! Fogfur! Fogfur!"

Fogfur held her head up high, drinking up the praise of her clanmates, clearly adoring the spotlight. "Thank you! I will do my best to help my clan." She meowed, her orbs oozing pride and confidence that only a deputy could have; it was what Fallenpaw craved most.

Fallenpaw joined into the cheering, ignoring the glare that Goldpaw shot her way. She didn't mind the change in deputy, for Fogfur was one of the older warriors in ShadowClan, meaning that her passing would come soon enough. However, she was a tad concerned about the way Redfang was demoted: there was no proper ceremony. StarClan never was asked to approve of Fogfur.

"Now, I say we attack tonight! What do you think, Fogfur? Sunblaze must be avenged!" Darkstar yowled, blatantly ignoring the fact that the new warrior was still clinging to life and could probably hear him from Yarrowtail's and Foxtail's den.

"I second that motion, Darkstar!" Fogfur snarled, her eyes gleaming with an unspoken blood lust.

"You heard us, ShadowClan! Tonight, we shed ThunderClan blood!"

**Hi! Alright, again, not a very long chapter... But, I thought that was an epic line to end it on. So... guess what? Fallenpaw's warrior name has been chosen! Yay! *throws confetti* the poll is gone as well. Okay, now I have a question for you lovely people. The question is, should Sunblaze pass on into StarClan, or pull through? I give you until the next chapter to decide his fate. Oh, and be prepared for a rather depressing chapter, because that'll be the next chapter. That's all! As you know I enjoy reviews and cherish every last one I get, so you get the point! Bye.**

**-Spotty **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 11:

**Hey people! I'm gonna start responding to your reviews up here, but still do my crappy little author's note at the bottom! Yay!**

**_One Twinkle in a Million: Haha! I like your fire, Twinkie-poo! You want death? Trust me, you'll get death. This story isn't a angst/tragedy genre for nothing! Soon, you might even be pleading me to spare characters ;) _**

**Forestclaw: Um… you're not gonna like these next few chapters… hehe… *runs away***

**_Stuffed Watermelon: Like I said to dear Forestclaw above… Hey, I'm not saying Sunblazey isn't going to live or anything, I just… it seems like you like happy endings (I don't know if that's true or not!) but do not fear! You will have to live in suspense for like maybe another chapter about whether or not Sunblaze will pull through! This is after all a Warriors fanfiction! *insert evil laugh here* _**

_The wind rips through the pelts of the innocent…_

Fallenpaw felt her heart race as her father's words repeated themselves over and over in her mind, she'd been waiting to hear them, longing to actually. She just had to get revenge on Grasswing for humiliating her like that, she couldn't have cats thinking that she needed her mentor to protect her; it was pitiful. She was seeking revenge and revenge was seeking her out; Grasswing would pay.

The pale gray she-cat's excitement increased as Fogfur neared her, Forestpaw, and Goldpaw. The new deputy flicked her shorter black tail at Forestpaw, "you will be in wave one. Get ready to fight a bunch of fresh ThunderClan scum with those lovely sharp claws of yours."

Fallenpaw had to agree with Fogfur, although she didn't necessarily like Forestpaw, she did admit that her claws were sharper and more curved than most cats, making it easy for her to catch pelts with her hook-like claws.

Forestpaw puffed out her chest, pleased with Fogfur's subtle compliment, "I won't let you down, Fogfur."

Fogfur ignored the former loner's response, turning towards Goldpaw, who stared intently at the black she-cat as he awaited his assignment. "I want you in wave two. Your build will be perfect for defeating tired, half-baked warriors."

Goldpaw's orbs shimmered at the prospect of spilling ThunderClan blood, clearly eager to avenge Sunblaze. "Right." He nodded, his claws unsheathing themselves so they dug into the soft earth.

The deputy turned to Fallenpaw, "you are going to be a Snatcher."

"What? A Snatcher? I-I don't even know what that is!" Fallenpaw stammered, her eyes round with curiosity and surprise.

She gave in irritated growl, "go find Stormeye or Rowanheart, they're both Snatchers too, they'll tell you." The jet-black she-cat left towards the larger crowd of cats, hoping to get to them before they dispersed.

Fallenpaw rolled her eyes, she didn't particularly like Rowanheart, as the she-cat would often snap and glare at the apprentices; she acted as though she was better than Fallenpaw. Her ears laid flat on her skull when she thought of Stormeye, she spent enough time with the tom already, she didn't want him lecturing her on what a Snatcher was, he lectured her on enough.

A new thought wormed its way into Fallenpaw's brain. Perhaps Crookedclaw knew? She wouldn't be embarrassed to ask him, he was only her best friend. Fallenpaw scanned the still-full clearing for the broad brown tom, quickly singling him out; he sat by the holly bushes that surrounded the camp's entrance, staring at his paws. The pale she-cat padded towards him, quickly catching his attention. Crookedclaw watched her intently until she was just in front of him.

"Hey, Crookedclaw," she greeted, "what were you assigned for the battle?"

"Wave one." Crookedclaw responded curtly, his ears twitching nervously.

She looked at him skeptically, "you nervous or something? It's just a battle. ThunderClan's pathetic, remember? You'll do fine."

"No, it's not that." He muttered.

"Well what's-"

"Can we go on a walk?" Crookedclaw blurted, his pelt bristling with embarrassment as he said it, "um, you know, if you want."

"Crookedclaw, we're going to be leaving very soon, wave one specifically. I don't think we'd have time." Fallenpaw responded.

"It doesn't have to be long, we can just go to that little cluster of pines just outside of camp, you know, the ones that are always oozing the sap?" He asked hastily, his tone growing a tad desperate.

"Um, sure?" Fallenpaw agreed, wondering where her friend was going with this.

His green orbs lit up, "great! Let's go before Darkstar calls me in."

XXX

Fallenpaw seated herself further from the pines, not wanting to be coated in the gold, sticky substance whilst Crookedclaw paid the sap no heed, sitting directly beneath one of the pines. She absent mindedly watched as the sap slowly slid down Crookedclaw's pelt, mixing in with his deep brown pelt, making it gleam in the moonlight.

"Fallenpaw, I… I wanted to wait until you were a warrior before I said anything, but I just have this nagging pit in my stomach that I need to tell you now." Crookedclaw meowed, shuffling his paws nervously.

"Yeah?" She asked, casting a glance behind her shoulders to reassure herself that her clan hadn't left yet.

Crookedclaw stayed silent for a moment before inhaling deeply and getting to his paws. Before Fallenpaw could comprehend what exactly was happening, he leaned forward and rubbed his muzzle against Fallenpaw's. Fallenpaw's eyes widened in surprise, causing Crookedclaw to pull back, his pelt bristling with worry.

"I'm sorry, I've offended you, haven't I?" He murmured.

Fallenpaw's shock melted away at his panic, replaced with a rare soft look, "Crookedclaw, you could never offend me, you're my best friend. You just surprised me, that's all."

Relief flooded his expression, his shoulders relaxing as he sat back onto his haunches. "I really like you, Fallenpaw, I have since I was an apprentice." He meowed sheepishly.

Fallenpaw gave a purr of amusement, "you could've just said so, mouse-brain. Why'd you wait so long?"

"I don't know… I was actually going to wait longer, but I just had a feeling, like this could be my last chance. I saw you hanging around Goldpaw a little earlier." Crookedclaw muttered, his ears laying back on his skull at the mention of Fallenpaw's denmate.

She flicked her tail distastefully, "if you think I like him, you are mistaken. I can't stand that half blooded kittypet. Besides, he's playing nicely with Forestpaw now. Trust me, just the sight of him makes me want to claw his face off. If Sunblaze wasn't… you know…" she murmured, her voice trailing off, "I probably would've done it sometime tonight."

Crookedclaw seemed to relax with her words, his pelt smoothing itself out.

She gave another amused purr and flicked his nose with the tip of her tail, "but, dear Crookedfoot, we need to get back."

He nodded in agreement, ignoring the she-cat's nickname for him as he silently padded at the pale she-cat's side back to camp.

XXX

"What? N-no, Stormeye, I can't do that!" Fallenpaw meowed, her face frozen as she listened to Stormeye's definition.

"That's funny, because on the day of your apprentice ceremony, you acted like it was no big deal." Stormeye hissed softly.

Her body shook with the anticipated guilt, "yeah, but now…" She shook her head, "w-we aren't going to hurt them, right?"

"No. Not unless ThunderClan forces us to, we'd never hurt kits, Fallenpaw. And, if it makes you feel better, ThunderClan only has two kits and they're weaned. We just have to act like it's a game, just tell them we're playing battle or something, they'll eat it right up." Stormeye assured her, resting his tail across his apprentice's shoulders.

Her ears laid themselves on her skull at his action, sitting down so his tail would slide off before standing back up again, "yeah."

Stormeye looked taken back by the gesture, but shrugged it off. "And, this could be your warrior assessment, Fallenpaw. You help us bring Cloverkit and Thrushkit to ShadowClan camp alive and safe, Darkstar might make you a warrior."

Those were the words she needed to hear. Fallenpaw relaxed and mulled over the plan that Rowanheart and Marshfur had put together. According to them, most of ThunderClan would be surprised and plagued with sleepiness, making their job much easier. The four of them would stick together in a group, avoiding the fighting. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a cat guarding the nursery, giving them easy access into the den. However, if there was a guard, all four cats would attack, with two staying to keep the guard occupied while the other two went into the nursery to fetch the kits, then the six of them would leave with Thrushkit and Cloverkit in the center until they got back to ShadowClan camp. They would strike with the first wave.

"Hey, you two, hurry up!" Rowanheart hissed as she led the four of them towards the ThunderClan border.

Stormeye sighed, "I was just telling her what she had to do, Rowanheart, besides, we're ahead of schedule, we're fine."

"Still, you didn't need to stop." Rowanheart muttered crossly.

Fallenpaw rolled her eyes at Rowanheart's attitude, picking up her pace. She just wanted tonight to be over.

She wrinkled her nose as the putrid stench of ThunderClan wafted into her nose, assaulting her senses. Her thoughts about the ThunderClan kits that would be taken along with Crookedclaw's confession were annihilated, stuffed far back in her brain. Fallenpaw was on high alert, stiff with paranoia as though she expected ThunderClan's nonexistent midnight patrol to show up and maim her like Sunblaze. Her fur bristled at the thought of her clanmates abandoning her, leaving her to bleed out so they could please her father; Fallenpaw only relaxed when she remembered that Stormeye was there with her, and despite her rudeness towards him and her clanmates, he always protected her. She hated to say it, but having him there kept her from running straight back to ShadowClan with her tail in between her legs. Fallenpaw shivered, the thought was repulsive to her, yet she welcomed it.

Her thoughts flickered back to Crookedclaw. Fallenpaw's stomach knotted at the thought of what'd happened, she hadn't expected their friendship to… escalate to this level. Sure, she'd had a little kit-crush on Crookedclaw when she was just a kit, but now… now she was about to be a warrior. She had to question whether or not it was more than a little kit's crush. Her breath hitched in her thought as she thought about her plan she'd come up with as a kit, it said specifically that she couldn't have a mate out of the fear that she could end up as a queen. Perhaps if Fogfur was a younger cat she would take time out from her plan to continue her bloodline with Crookedclaw, but Fogfur… she was getting old and Fallenpaw hadn't had an apprentice, she hadn't even become a warrior yet! Fallenpaw began to have thoughts about letting Crookedclaw down. She shook her head sharply, earning a confused glance from Stormeye as she padded beside him; she couldn't let him down, he was her best friend next to Tawnyfern. Crookedclaw might not want to speak to her ever again if she told him she wasn't interested.

"We're nearly there." Marshfur hissed softly, his pace slowing to a stop, "let's try to find a garlic patch, that way the kits don't know who's really taking them."

Guilt flushed through her pelt, tricking innocent kits felt… wrong. She wished she was in one of the big groups, although it held a greater risk towards her safety, this one threatened her sanity _and _physical safety.

Stormeye shook his head, "there's no need to do that. We can do that when we have the kits so it's hard to track where we hid the kits."

Surprisingly, Rowanheart nodded in agreement, "yes, knowing Darkstar he's going to deny that we put them in camp with us."

"He's going to say we put them somewhere else?" Fallenpaw asked, her eyes narrowed into snake-like slits.

Marshfur nodded, "most likely we are going to lie and say we hid them in another clan's territory, possibly RiverClan's so the risk that the kits will fall into the river will loom over them. It will give RiverClan a reason to dislike ThunderClan, maybe to help us weaken ThunderClan further. Darkstar's a fantastic liar, if Streamstar and her cats question our innocence, Darkstar will deny it and accuse ThunderClan of lying to her clan to steal prey. It may seem cruel, but Adderstar must learn where her clan's limits lie."

Fallenpaw couldn't help but purr softly at his words, the thought of her father manipulating RiverClan into becoming his ally making her admire him even more so.

Stormeye took the lead, as Fallenpaw didn't need any more of an explanation, along with the fact that he was the oldest warrior out of the younger group. He led them through the budding darkness of the night, his senses noticeably alert for any ThunderClan activity.

No cat ever said anything, but it didn't take a genius to see that there wasn't enough planning for such an ambitious raid. All four were tense, as their job was the most risky: stealing a clan's lifeblood wasn't a deed that would ever be condoned by ThunderClan, the sitting ducks, or StarClan for that matter.

Stormeye came to a stop once the stone ravine that ThunderClan called home came into sight. They now had to wait for Darkstar to arrive with the first wave.

XXX

When Darkstar came with his patrol, he looked nothing like the cat Fallenpaw called father. His amber eyes were cold and hollow looking, glittering with malice and pure hatred; and his hackles were raised, making the already broad tom even larger. He was terrifying.

As a kit, Fallenpaw would've purred at the idea of her father looking like that, envisioning him tearing through ThunderClan, defeating cat after cat. But now… now she wasn't purring and making jokes about it with Deerpaw and Pinepaw. Slowly but surely, she was seeing her clan in it's true colors; it wasn't a kit fantasy anymore.

Pinepaw tailed their father closely, looking like a younger copy of Darkstar. He was obviously trying to mimic Darkstar's expression, but did so with little success. Perhaps after the battle he would share Darkstar's look of triumph should they win. Like Deerpaw and Fallenpaw, Pinepaw had never seen war before; like every other young, foolish cat, Pinepaw still fantasized about never getting hurt and winning each and every battle with ease. And like every other young, foolish cat, Pinepaw wasn't immortal. He just doesn't know it yet.

Her father didn't cast the Snatching group a glance, instead beckoning them to come to the outskirts of the mass of ShadowClan cats. Fallenpaw looks at Stormeye, waiting until he gave her a curt nod, joining the first wave. The pale she-cat scrambled to where Pinepaw was just in front of Stormeye.

"Hey, Pinepaw," she began quietly so she wouldn't wake ThunderClan, "is Deerpaw here?"

It took Pinepaw a moment before he acknowledged Fallenpaw's presence. "No, she's not coming, remember? Her secret?" He hissed quietly.

"What secret?" She hissed back.

He glared at her, "maybe if you stopped padding after Crookedclaw all day everyday and spent some time with Deerpaw you would've noticed!"

Before Fallenpaw could respond, her brother sped up, swapping places with Mottleface, leaving the pale she-cat trailing off, confused as she thought about what Deerpaw could possibly be hiding from her. She took in Pinepaw's last words to her, her blue eyes narrowing and a small growl forming in her throat. Fallenpaw never flirted, well intentionally at least, with cats. Especially not her closer friends like Crookedclaw. Of course now, after the ThunderClan raid, Crookedclaw would probably expect her to be… flirty and act all moony with him around camp. She blinked slowly as she walked, it wasn't a bad thing, so why… why was just _thinking _about it making her so uncomfortable? Deerpaw hung around Thornstep quite a lot now, so it's not like cats will frown upon her relationship with Crookedclaw, and with her warrior ceremony just around the corner, she was sure the kinks would work themselves out.

Fallenpaw was forced out of her thoughts as the first of many blood-curtailing screams filled the night. Darkstar had just attacked one of the guards along with Mottleface, throwing them back into their camp. She looked away from the sight, not wanting to see cats potentially fall to their deaths. However, Fallenpaw couldn't help but smirk, she'd heard about how proud ThunderClan was of their Twoleg stone pit of a camp, as they'd brag that it was impenetrable, the perfect camp to guard and protect from intruders. Now, it only trapped them. Some ShadowClan cats would stay at the top, making sure that no ThunderClan cats escaped whilst the others would fight in the pit. It'd be as easy as catching toads.

**Wow! Now wasn't that long? I was going to include the whole battle, but then this chapter was going to be ridiculously long. Oh, and sorry for lying in the last author's note about this not being a depressing chapter! That's next chapter! Also, Sunblaze's fate will be determined probably in I think two chapters. I think. And before you guys go… I have some more work for you to do! Yay work! I wouldn't mind adding some more cats to the other clans, I mean, look how pathetic they all look right now! It's sad! Also, you should tell me something else. I plan on adding a prophecy into this mess of a story, and it depends on Fallenpaw's name… which even though I said I decided on, well… I started thinking about prophecies for her, and I've thought of one, which would be easiest for me, but that prophecy may or may not sound corny, so tell me: make my life easy, or hard? IT'S ALL UP TO YOU!**

**~Spotty **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12:

**_KatieK101: Yay! I didn't know you were still reading this! And I promise I'll keep updating so don't you worry!_**

**One Twinkle in a Million: THANK YOU SO MUCH TWINKY! I loooove criticism oh so much so thank you! Oh, and I'll try to fix those issues in this chapter… excuse me if I don't though :p And I'm glad you like the italic sentences! They're steadily getting more difficult to write though… oh well! **

**_Stuffed Watermelon: You're welcome!_**

**Scarletpool: Yay names! Thanks, you're like the only one who gave me names… *glares at other readers* **

_Let the rain fall…_

She panicked for a moment as she saw her group rush down with a cluster of their clanmates, afraid that she'd be left behind. Fallenpaw hissed at herself for being so pathetic, battle and glory was something she had dreamt of since she was a moon old! Now she was close to warrior-hood as well, and here she was, practically ready to jump out of her fur and run back to Greenflower. She hated herself for feeling that way.

Battle cries filled the stone clearing. ThunderClan cats rushed out of their dens in waves, their eyes round with surprise and fear. A heavy fear scent lingered in the air as ShadowClan slammed into the warriors of ThunderClan, ripping into their pelts with glee. The battle had truly began.

Fallenpaw stayed close to Stormeye as the four of them began the tedious task of breaking into the nursery without making it a big production. At least that's what Rowanheart had said. For some reason, the pretty dark gray and white she-cat seemed very excited about the heist. It was a tad unnerving.

"Now, when we reach them," Rowanheart began quietly, her eyes flickering from Stormeye, to Fallenpaw, to Marshfur and back around, "just leave the 'kit talk' to me. I've got a plan."

Fallenpaw wanted to tell her to shut up, but the atmosphere had her on edge; she didn't want to talk. She instead shot a glare in her direction, earning one just as harsh. Her pale blue orbs rolled themselves; Rowanheart was getting on her last nerve. Marshfur seemed to sense the tension, walking at Rowanheart's side through the chaos, blocking Fallenpaw's view.

The pale she-cat averted her gaze to the flurry of cats fighting around them. She picked out Badgerclaw, who was currently fighting with Lucy, who was currently being overpowered by the tom's size. Fallenpaw couldn't help but smirk at the former kittypet's feeble attempts at freeing herself as Badgerclaw bit and tore into her fluffy pelt. Stormeye noticed Fallenpaw's smug look, shooting her a disapproving glare. She promptly shrugged him off, Lucy deserved to be clawed all the way back to her twolegs; hopefully Whiteheart would follow suit.

Her smug look vanished as she was practically flattened to the ground, forcing her to remember that she was on a battleground. Fallenpaw snarled as she lost her breath; why were ThunderClan cats so fat? The ShadowClan apprentice didn't recognize the blue-gray tom as he crushed her beneath him. She flashed her still-white fangs at him, her rosy-pink gums showing themselves as she warned him. Fury bloomed inside her as the tom let out an amused purr, slashing at her pale facial fur. Fallenpaw yowled in anger when she felt crimson bubble up out of the crevices of the claw wound, sinking her fangs into the tom's legs, sullying her formerly white fangs.

"You should've stayed in the medicine cat den, sweetheart." The tom sneered, shaking the lithe she-cat off with ease.

Fallenpaw's orbs flashed, cold fury hiding the confusion in her gaze as she took in her situation. A smirk wiped her anger away as she saw her chance: the tom had made the mistake of going onto three legs. She gave a fierce yowl, prepared to knock him right off his paws. Fallenpaw gave a hiss of surprise when the blue-gray cat tipped over, the weight of the plump cat instantly taken away.

Her surprise turned right back into frustration when she saw Stormeye fighting with him. Swiping her tongue over her red-stained teeth, Fallenpaw ran at the cat once more, knocking him away from Stormeye's claws; it was her fight. The tom's eyes gleamed as he saw his old opponent, his jaws parting to deliver a bite. Fallenpaw screeched in protest, swatting his muzzle away with an unsheathed paw. She smirked at the ThunderClan cat as blood splattered on her once-clean face. Fallenpaw's smirk fell when Stormeye once again tore the tom off her.

"Get away from my apprentice!" He snarled, his gaze murderous as he slammed his paw into the tom's face once again.

Fallenpaw's pelt burned with umbrage and humiliation as she watched her mentor fight _her _battle. Her face twisted into a snarl, barely restraining herself from tackling Stormeye away from the large cat. She'd long since forgotten that she was a Snatcher, not part of wave one.

"Stormeye! I'm not a kit for StarClan's sake! Let me fight my own battles!" Fallenpaw snapped, springing onto the blue-gray tom's pelt as she sunk her hooked claws into the tom.

As usual, her lithe form was her downfall. After a yowl of pain and surprise, the tom simply rolled, crushing Fallenpaw again, earning a hiss of fury and frustration. Pinned flat on her stomach, she struggled to worm herself out from under him will little success.

"This is pathetic, come on you two! We've got work to do!" Rowanheart snapped as she barreled into the ThunderClan tom, throwing him off balance.

Stormeye gripped Fallenpaw's scruff, dragging her out from under the blue-gray cat. Fallenpaw didn't know whether to be angry or embarrassed at this point, as she'd barely gotten to do anything to the tom. She knew it was her first big fight, but would it have killed them to let her at least draw some more blood?

Fallenpaw shook herself out of Stormeye's grasp, shooting the black and white cat a glare. Stormeye glared right back.

"Come on!" Rowanheart growled, snapping the warrior's and apprentice's attention back to their job.

Fallenpaw's heart thudded, the blood roaring in her ears as she thought about the task. At first, it seemed horrible, unbearable almost. Almost. She gave Rowanheart a curt nod, swiftly dodging a ginger and white she-cat's swipe as she caught up with Marshfur. Fallenpaw wanted to claw the black tom's ears off, as he'd been the only one not to get caught up in a fray with a ThunderClan mange-pelt. Marshfur seemed to notice, only to shrug her off.

The pale gray she-cat scanned the battle ground as she slunk after Marshfur and Rowanheart. Her eyes flashed with shock as she realized how badly ShadowClan was doing; Lucy was still getting pummeled by Badgerclaw, Tornstem was barely holding his own in a grappling match with a russet she-cat, and… Fallenpaw stopped, her eyes rounding in horror. Her pelt fluffed up and her ears laid back on her skull as she watched Redfang pinned under the claws of Thornstep, his own clanmate.

"R-Redfang!" Fallenpaw yowled, prepared to jump into the madness to save the former deputy.

"Don't." The familiar meow of Stormeye hissed, stepping in front of his apprentice.

"W-what? B-but Redfang- Thornstep's his own clanmate!" Fallenpaw protested, her gaze darting beneath Stormeye's stomach as she tried to watch.

"We can't help him, no one can help him but himself. If either of us help him, we'll become targets as well. Fallenpaw, our clanmates think of him as nothing more than a traitorous weak link to ShadowClan. In their eyes, we cannot have links like him still leeched onto ShadowClan," Stormeye murmured, "come on, let's just keep going. I don't need you scarred for life from watching this."

Fallenpaw didn't move from her spot. "How do you know about this? Has it happened before?" She asked, her gaze hardening.

Her mentor stiffened at her question, "yes… it has happened before."

"To who? What happened?" She choked out, wincing as Thornstep slashed at Redfang's throat, opening up a river of crimson.

"I'll tell you later. We have to go." Stormeye said firmly, beckoning her with a flick of his tail. Fallenpaw didn't move, her eyes trained on Redfang as he bled out.

The pale she-cat gave a choked yowl as she watched the cat who'd she had wanted to be her mentor ever since she was a kit writhe around in pain. She hated Thornstep for dragging his death out. It may seem cruel, but Fallenpaw was pleading for the deep brown tom to just end it with a swift bite to the neck. StarClan ignored her pleas, instead allowing for the dark, almost black pool that floated across the stone floor around the tom's body. Time seemed to slow down as the tom's tail, ears, and paws twitched a few times, as though he was desperately trying to hang on to life. Her heart sank after Redfang's movements stopped, the petite swelling and deflating of his chest slowing to nothing. Thornstep gave a proud smirk as he kicked dust onto Redfang's corpse before creating another fray with a ThunderClan warrior.

Redfang now sat alone, his fur saturated in his own blood in the middle of ThunderClan's camp. It was no way for a ShadowClan warrior to die; all because of his opinions.

**Alright, sorry for the overall crappy-ness of this chapter! I'm currently spending some time working on a story for Wattpad so my brain's sort of stuck on that… oh well! I'm not going to stop writing on Fanfiction because of Wattpad! (Seriously, I promise I won't!) **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13:

**_Snowsong of SnowClan- Yeah, but don't worry! His death will have a major affect on the story later on, so… I guess it was sort of necessary. _**

**Derpmaster- It's a nice thought… but that chapter really did suck… hopefully this one turns out better!**

**_Moonbeam141- You shouldn't have to worry about those three, Fallenpaw's the main character and I'm not mean enough to hurt/kill kits! Or am I? 0_o _**

_Thunder cackles in the distance…_

"You have the guard?" Rowanheart asked as she stepped further into ThunderClan's nursery.

Marshfur gave a struggling nod as he fought with the queen, Rainwhisker, pinning her to the mud. No ThunderClan cat had seemed to notice that their nursery had been infiltrated, as most fights didn't result in kit-killing or kit-napping. Fallenpaw winced as Marshfur slammed one of his big paws against Rainwhisker's cheek, smashing the gray and white she-cat's face into the blood-stained stone. Her blue eyes blazed with fury, hatred, and concern for her kits.

Fallenpaw forced her attention back to Rowanheart, who had her eyes trained on the two kits who laid in their nest, eyes round in fright. Stormeye stayed behind to subdue Rainwhisker and any other cats who try to interrupt them.

"What now?" Fallenpaw asked quietly.

Rowanheart merely flicked her tail, signaling for her to be quiet. Fallenpaw stiffly nodded her head, her ears flat against her skull as she re-watched Redfang's murder. She'd be talking to Deerpaw about her seeing him later.

The pretty dark gray and white she-cat padded lightly to the two kits. "Hello, little kits. I'm here to take you home." She purred gently.

"You're not our mommy." The darker gray she-cat, Cloverkit, squeaked.

The other kit, Thrushkit, an even darker tom with a white muzzle stayed silent, his still-kit-blue orbs narrowed as he watched Rowanheart as she neared their nest.

"Oh my little kits, you were taken away by these horrible cats right after I had you two. Oh Duskkit and Darkkit I've missed you so much! Come on, it's time to go home. Your father and I have missed you so much." Rowanheart murmured, a false, yet believable sadness glimmering in her orbs.

Fallenpaw's eyes widened as she finished. That was why Rowanheart was so happy to be a Snatcher, she wanted to raise the two kits as her own.

"Who's Duskkit and Darkkit?" Cloverkit asked again, slowly venturing away from her brother's side.

Rowanheart feigned a purr of amusement as she approached the ThunderClan she-kit. "You're Duskkit, and Darkkit is your brother."

"I only remember being in ThunderClan, Rainwhisker is our mother, and Mousetail is our father." Thrushkit said confidently, his ears laying themselves back.

"T-that's because they stole y-you from Rowanheart, Th-Darkkit." Fallenpaw stuttered, earning a look of appreciation from Rowanheart.

Thrushkit's suspicions seemed to die down at Fallenpaw's words, stepping up to Cloverkit's side. "So Mousetail and Rainwhisker… lied to us?" He asked.

Rowanheart gave the tom-kit a nod, sweeping him and his sister closer to her. "Oh Shadespots is going to be so pleased to see his kits again. He talks about you two constantly, you know that?"

"Really?" Cloverkit asked, her kit-blue eyes clearly eating Rowanheart's story up.

"Yup, really." Rowanheart purred, licking the she-kit in between her ears.

"You stink." Thrushkit gagged, wearing a repulsed look as he breathed Rowanheart's and Fallenpaw's scents in.

Fallenpaw faked a purr, "that's just because you're still used to the horrible smell of ThunderClan, Darkkit. You'll get used to ShadowClan again, I promise."

Thrushkit gave a slow nod, his amber-tinged kit-blue eyes never leaving Fallenpaw as he did so.

Rowanheart turned to Fallenpaw. "Fallenpaw, will you carry Darkkit for me?"

Fallenpaw stiffly nodded, gripping the young tom into her jaws. Rowanheart did the same with Cloverkit, her blue orbs shining with happiness as she slipped out of the den with Fallenpaw at her heels.

The two she-cats nodded at Stormeye and Marshfur, who left the defeated Rainwhisker laying weakly in front of the den. The two quickly began to walk in front of Rowanheart and Fallenpaw to hide them and their prizes from ThunderClan's view.

XXX

The ShadowClan camp was nearly empty when the six returned to camp. Only Deerpaw, Greenflower, Yarrowtail, Foxtail, Hailpelt and her kits, and the elders remained along with a few cats from the first wave. Yarrowtail was currently working on Dustclaw's wounds while Foxtail was wrapping a cobweb around Redpool's tail, which had been chewed up by a ThunderClan cat.

Rowanheart set Cloverkit/Duskkit on the boggy earth, "we're home."

Fallenpaw followed suit, letting Thrushkit/Darkkit down gently beside his sister, her eyes clouded with guilt. She had just lied to two _kits. _For who? Rowanheart, who she didn't even like! Fallenpaw sunk her claws into the ground as she thought harder. Her stomach churned as she realized that she'd just lied to herself. Fallenpaw hadn't done anything for Rowanheart, she'd done it for herself; for her name.

She watched emptily as Rowanheart led the two ThunderClan kits into the nursery, where the six moon old Rosekit and Lillykit watched with mild confusion.

Stormeye sat beside his apprentice, "it may be hard now, but it'll get easier, Fallenpaw. Trust me. Redfang will still get a proper ceremony, and Darkstar will most likely force Rowanheart to give Thrushkit and Cloverkit back. Trust me, everything will work out in the end."

"Yeah… I guess," Fallenpaw muttered, getting to her paws, "I'm going to go talk to Deerpaw."

She sulked towards the light brown she-cat, her head hung low. "Deerpaw?"

Deerpaw whirled around to face her sister, her orbs lighting up in delight. "Fallenpaw! You made it back!" She purred, nuzzling her sister.

Fallenpaw couldn't help but purr back, some of the guilt dwindling away. "Yep. It takes a lot to get rid of me."

The she-cat's gaze hardened, her ears sitting back on her skull, "but Pinepaw and Darkstar haven't come back yet and neither have most of the cats from the first wave. Darkstar and Fogfur both said that the first wave would be back by now." Deerpaw cast a look at the moon, which was steadily backing away to make way for the sun. "I'm worried, Fallenpaw. The second wave had to leave early because ShadowClan wasn't doing well. Redpool said she saw dead cats, Fallenpaw. What if one of them is Pinepaw? Or Thornstep-"

Fallenpaw couldn't keep the growl in her throat at the mention of the tom. "Thornstep was fine last I saw him. He killed Redfang with minimal injury."

Deerpaw's eyes widened, "w-what? Redfang? N-no, he can't be dead! Thornstep couldn't have killed him either!"

She felt a pang of sympathy for her sister, she had clearly cared about Thornstep. "So does that mean you're going to stop seeing him?"

The she-cat's gaze clouded. "I would but…"

"But what?"

"Fallenpaw, please don't get mad-"

"At what, Deerpaw?"

"Well… you, um, see, uh…"

"For StarClan's sake, Deerpaw, what is it?"

"Fallenpaw… I'm… I'm carrying his kits."

Fallenpaw stared wide-eyed at her sister, her heart stopping at her words. "You're what? Deerpaw!"

Deerpaw couldn't bring herself to meet Fallenpaw's shocked gaze, "I know, I know I got too close to Thornstep. But now you know why I'm not at ThunderClan's camp."

"Does Darkstar know?" She asked.

Deerpaw shook her head, "nope. Only you, Greenflower, and Pinepaw know. I was going to tell Thornstep after he got back, but now… if you're telling me the truth about Redfang, I think I'll keep the kits to myself."

"If you want proof then just ask Stormeye. He saw it too."

Deerpaw purred, her eyes alight with mischief. "You certainly are spending a great amount of time with Stormeye. Are you hiding a secret from Darkstar too?"

Fallenpaw's eyes widened, her pelt bristling. "Stormeye? Never. And we only spend time together because he's my mentor. You spend time with Marshfur, he's a tom. Pinepaw spends time with Flamepath, she's a she-cat. It's not a big deal."

She smirked at the pale she-cat. "Yes, I spend time with Marshfur, and Pinepaw spends time with Flamepath, but that's only during training. I see you talking to Stormeye outside of training a lot, and I'm pretty sure you two aren't just talking about hunting crouches and fighting techniques. Besides, he saved you from Grasswing-"

"Any mentor would save their apprentice from getting injured by an enemy clan's deputy, Deerpaw. Get over it." Fallenpaw muttered, her blue eyes watching her paws.

"Whatever you say." Deerpaw purred, flicking Fallenpaw on the shoulder with her tail.

"How is Sunblaze doing?" Fallenpaw asked, determined to change the subject.

Deerpaw's purrs of amusement cut themselves short, her expression turning grim once more. "Yarrowtail announced that StarClan claimed him just before the second wave left. I think he's been dead since this morning in all truthfulness. Perhaps she saved announcing his death to get the clan fired up? She yowled at the clan to avenge his death."

Fallenpaw lowered her head. "Does Shinepaw and Goldpaw and Bluethorn know?"

"Shinepaw doesn't know since she was in wave one, but Goldpaw and Bluethorn do. Goldpaw was the first cat out of camp and Bluethorn was the first to cry out." Deerpaw murmured, wincing as though she was picturing Shinepaw's reaction to her brother's passing.

Deerpaw regathered herself, glancing back at Fallenpaw. "How many cats do you think died?"

"I don't know. I only know about Redfang." Fallenpaw answered truthfully, sitting down and wrapping her tail neatly around her paws.

Deerpaw copied Fallenpaw's movement. "I really hope it's just Redfang."

"Don't jinx it." Fallenpaw muttered.

"I wasn't trying to." Deerpaw replied quietly.

"But what if you did?" She replied.

"Fallenpaw!"

"Deerpaw!"

Deerpaw rolled her orbs and got to her paws, trotting away to where Greenflower sat.

Fallenpaw sighed, getting up as well. She had to stop herself from going straight to Stormeye, remembering Deerpaw's snide remark about their 'closeness'. The pale she-cat instead stayed put, her eyes fixated on the camp entrance as she awaited her clan's return.

XXX

By the time her clan returned, the sun had peaked the horizon and the birds were singing.

Darkstar and Fogfur appeared first, their eyes flickering with defeat as they leaned on each other for support. The cats behind him didn't look any better. Each was laced in scratches and bites, their fur soaked in their own blood. Fallenpaw, although horrified that ShadowClan had come back like this, was slightly relieved that so far she'd seen no bodies.

Her relief vanished just as quickly as it had come. The cats in the back of the mob drug some bodies by their scruffs into the camp. The fallen were laid sloppily in the clearing, as their carriers were about to drop themselves.

Fallenpaw shouldered her way into the crowd to get a better look at the cats. There in the clearing laid Sunblaze, Redfang, Longtail, Shinepaw, and… Crookedclaw.

**And done! Alright, I felt a little better about the quality of this chapter, well, up to the last scene at least… that should've been done better than that. I just couldn't think of another way to do it… ah well. So… you guys might've noticed that I changed 'Insanity's name to 'Pride' and gave the summary a make-over. I personally am really close to changing it back because I'm not feeling the name… what do you guys think? If you can come up with a better name you should review/PM it to me. PLEASE!**

**~Spotty**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 14:

**UPDATED SHADOWCLAN ALLEGIANCE AT BOTTOM**

**_DerpMaster- Yeah, yeah I'm mean I know… and thank you, I try :) _**

**Snowsong of SnowClan- Okay, I think I'll keep 'Pride' a little longer. And sorry I killed Crookedclaw! I planned this from the very beginning!**

**_One Twinkle in a Million- Daw, thanks! And don't worry, Crookedclaw is gone. Oh, and I have a lot of free time… that explains my frequent updating skills! (I don't know if I'm actually a good updater or not, I just like to think I am!)_**

**Stuffed Watermelon- Sorry, but good 'Ol Crookedclaw's gone…**

**Moonbeam141- Okay, like I said to Snowy Pride will stick around for a tad longer, I might switch it back later but for now 'Pride' is here to stay!**

**EmberskyofShadowclan- Thanks for the names! I shall use them when I get around to updating the rest of the clan allegiances (I'll probably make a separate chapter for that soon!) And like I said to Snowy and Moony, 'Pride' will stick around for a while, and if Fallenpaw truly looses it, (which she might ;)) it'll probably go back to 'Insanity'. ******

_Lightning strikes the heart of innocence…_

The following night was cold, with dark clouds bestowed upon the deep night sky, as though inviting a storm. It would suit such an occasion. She shuddered as a cold breeze ruffled her pelt, subconsciously snuggling closer to Bluethorn, who sat on her left. Fallenpaw's orbs rested on the bodies.

Sunblaze was by far the stiffest of them all, but carried no scent of decay nor death thanks to the herb mixture that Yarrowtail had groomed into his golden pelt. The pale gray she-cat's whiskers twitched, wondering if his and Shinepaw's death were her fault; she did after all not put in enough time to persuade the three siblings to leave the forest. Fallenpaw washed the thought away with a swift chest lick.

Fallenpaw didn't look at Redfang for very long, as it was partially her fault that he was dead. She saw Thornstep killing him and did nothing about it. Her eyes narrowed. No, it wasn't her fault. If anything, it was _Stormeye's fault_. If he hadn't stopped her, Fallenpaw would've flayed Thornstep, so therefore it was her mentor's fault. Quietly hissing at herself, Fallenpaw tore her attention from Redfang; it wouldn't be wise to hold a grudge against the only cat that was holding her back from a warrior name.

She never really knew Longtail very well, but he was still her clanmate, and she would mourn him. His death looked to have been swift, as his throat had been torn out, with just his spine and a few tendons holding his head onto his shoulders.

Fallenpaw flinched at the sight of the beautiful, innocent Shinepaw. Her ginger and white fur was sullied and torn despite the grooming that Bluethorn had given her before the vigil. The she-cat's orbs were wide open, a powerful fear-scent clinging to her pelt overpowering the stench of death and the strong-smelling herbs. Sympathy washed over her as she thought about how terrified the gentle she-cat had been when her life was stolen from her.

Before Fallenpaw's gaze flickered to Crookedclaw, a quiet voice whispered into her ear. "So this is my punishment. StarClan is taking my kits one by one." Bluethorn murmured, her blue orbs filled with sorrow as she looked at Fallenpaw. "When will they take Goldpaw too?"

"They won't." Fallenpaw replied softly, pushing her natural hatred towards the gold tom aside for the grieving she-cat.

"What makes you so sure? I know Darkstar will keep pushing onwards until he wins, and where Darkstar goes, ShadowClan follows. And where ShadowClan goes, my son follows." Bluethorn murmured, her gaze going hollow at her own words.

"That's called loyalty."

"Loyalty is what gets us killed. I was foolish to leave Joey, had I stayed, Sunblaze and Shinepaw would still be alive." Bluethorn hissed, getting to her paws and padding away from her son's and daughter's bodies.

Brushing Bluethorn's words off, the she-cat turned her attention to the tom that basically asked her to be his mate just two moon-rises ago. Like Shinepaw and the other cats, Crookedclaw's pelt had been groomed by his mother and sister, Runningstream and Tawnyfern. But despite the grooming, his face was still twisted with hatred, his viridian orbs seething his rage as the life was clawed and bitten out of him. He had truly died a warrior's death.

"Are you okay?" The still-squeaky voice of the newly apprenticed Rosepaw asked, settling beside the apprentice.

Fallenpaw was almost surprised to see the white she-cat. She had nearly forgotten about her and Lillypaw's apprentice ceremony that had occurred that morning. Rosepaw was given Scorchtalon as her mentor, and Lillypaw had received Redpool.

The pale-gray she-cat rose up, using her sheer size to intimidate the new apprentice. "Why are you here? You didn't know any one of these cats."

Rosepaw stared back at her, unfazed by her harsh words; it reminded her of Goldpaw when he was younger. "Shinepaw was one of my best friends, and Longtail was mine and Lillypaw's father, Fallenpaw. Didn't you know that?" She meowed, her forest-green eyes drifting towards Hailpelt and Lillypaw, who had placed themselves right beside Longtail's body.

Guilt pricked at Fallenpaw's pelt. "…Yes, of course I knew. I've just been thinking too much about Crookedclaw, my head's a little… foggy so to speak."

Rosepaw gave a short nod, not taking offense to Fallenpaw's words. "I understand, you two were really close."

"Yes. And I'm really sorry about your father and Shinepaw." She said truthfully, turning away from the new apprentice to examine Crookedclaw once more. Rosepaw took that as her cue to leave, padding away to join her mother and sister.

As soon as the young she-cat left, Fallenpaw got to her paws and backed away from Crookedclaw. She didn't want to look at him or any of the other cats anymore.

XXX

"Fallenpaw… Fallenpaw, wake up." A voice muttered, shaking her awake.

The pale she-cat's eyes snapped open, coming face to face with Tawnyfern. "Why'd you leave?"

"I didn't want to see Crookedclaw." Fallenpaw replied simply, curling into a tighter ball in her nest.

Tawnyfern's pelt bristled at her friend's answer, nipping her ear. Fallenpaw let out a squeak of surprise, jerking her head up as she glared at the black and brown cat. "Show some respect! Not just for Crookedclaw, but for Sunblaze, Longtail, Redfang, and Shinepaw too! They would do it for you, so why aren't you doing it for them?" She hissed savagely, roughly rolling the apprentice out of her nest.

"You might not have known it, but you were Crookedclaw's _world. _Every time the two of us went hunting or trained together, he'd ask if you ever talked about him with me, and every time I had to tell him that no, you didn't. And it would crush him every time I told him. You know that secret I worked so hard to keep from you that one day? Crookedclaw told me that he loved you, Fallenpaw! He loved you and cared about you so much, and you aren't even sitting vigil for him? That's a pile of fox-dung!" Tawnyfern snarled, storming out of the apprentices' den.

Fallenpaw stared blankly after the warrior. "I know." She said simply despite the fact that the she-cat was gone. The ShadowClan apprentice blinked at the mass of cats gathered around the five bodies, "I know, but I don't know if I ever loved him."

**Hiya! Okay, I know this chapter was super short (although it may look long due to the WONDERFUL SURPLUS OF REVIEWS! and the allegiance update at the bottom, but come on! It's the Fourth of July! I HAD to update! So thanks for all those awesome reviews last chapter! AND HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 15:

**Stuffed Watermelon: I know, right? I hope I never have to attend a funeral with an open-casket thingy… I won't be able to look.**

**_Snowsong of SnowClan: Yeah… I feel bad and all, but it had to be done._**

**EmberskyofShadowclan: Well, that's Fallenpaw for ya, disrespectful and inconsiderate! **

**_One Twinkle in a Million: I do not doubt your stubbornness, Twinkie! Or do I? And you'll have to see for FallenXStorm, but don't worry, it'll come soon enough. _**

The wind screams into your ears…

_Fallenpaw licked her lips as she watched the plump, unsuspecting toad. With no water in sight, the creature had no place to hide. It was a dream come true, especially with Greenleaf coming to a close. _

_ She crept closer to her prey, subconsciously wiggling her haunches despite the fact that she knew Stormeye would scold her for her sloppy technique later. Excitement overtook her typical muscle-memory and she leapt, miraculously landing squarely on the toad, delivering a swift killing bite. Fallenpaw closed her eyes as she prepared to purr at the bitter-sweet taste of toad flesh, only to spring backwards, her orbs wide in surprise and terror as the toad grew darker, black almost, chilling the surrounding air. _

_ Fallenpaw shrunk back, cowering from the darkness as it grew from the toad, creeping up the trunks of pine trees only for them to fall dead to the ground. Once lush, healthy green grass shriveled into nothing as the blackness consumed it, moving steadily across ShadowClan territory. The darkness seemed to kill everything it touched. _

_ The pale-gray she-cat had a horrible feeling that she wasn't far from joining the dead pines and shriveled grass. Fallenpaw wanted to run, but her paws seemed glued to the ground as the shadows claimed the ground around her, leaving just her small circle of space. Her circle of safety began to slowly close in on her, the world turning black around her. Fallenpaw longed to yowl for help, yowl for anything actually, but her jaws were clamped shut. She could only watch._

_ The darkness was only seconds away from touching her paws. She waited for it to claim her, add her to the collection of dead plants. Fallenpaw's eyes widened further when the bright, yellow flowers of a yarrow plant sprouted around her, forcing the darkness away. She stared at the flower in surprise, as it typically was used to make cats throw up, rid them of a toxin; never had she thought of it like a rose, which was protected by thorns, or like brambles. Yarrow was vulnerable, anything but protective. The yellow plant steadily grew outwards, chasing the dark away. Fallenpaw relaxed a little, staring appreciatively at the flowers. Without thinking, the pale she-cat touched her nose to one of the many flowers._

_ The flowers burst into flames, the licks of fire spreading from flower to flower, creating a new circle around the unfortunate she-cat. Fallenpaw let out a squeak as animals and flowers and grasses appeared at her side: a wolf, bird, flower, and some sort of tall green grass. The fire continued to close in, earning alarmed chirps and yips and whimpers from herself and the wolf and bird. Fallenpaw nearly leapt out of her pelt when the wolf gave a sudden snarl of defiance, uprooting the flower and gripping it in its maw before springing out of the shrinking circle. The bird followed suit, squawking with alarm as it flew far away from the panicking she-cat. It was just Fallenpaw and the grass now. _

_ Fallenpaw hissed as a few stray embers flicked towards her, barely missing her pelt and instead lighting the grass aflame, eating it away in seconds. Her ears laid back on her skull as the heat intensified and the flames grew closer. Her blue orbs glanced pleadingly at the sky, hoping that something would help her. All she saw was a black sky, everything was dark-looking, evil. _

_ Thunder clapped overhead. Fallenpaw expected rain or lightning, only to get something worse, something that should never fall from the sky. Horrible black, dark soot rained down on Fallenpaw, slow at first, but quickly picking up. Her paws quickly became buried in the soft ash, her stomach and chest quickly following. When it reached her neck the flames began to burn her, sticking their crimson licks on what little fur was still uncovered by the ash. The pain escalated, yet none of her fur would actually burn, she only felt the pain. The soot then covered her face, slowly choking her to death. Her chest burned as she tried to yowl in pain, perhaps that wolf would come back and save her like it saved the flower? _

_Dread filled her, she knew the dog-like creature wouldn't come back for her. She caused the whole thing for StarClan's sake! Fallenpaw would suffer the same fate as the green grass._

XXX

Fallenpaw gave a frustrated growl when she saw a toad sitting by the water. She knew Stormeye or Quailflight was watching her and expected her to at least try to catch the toad, but her recent nightmare made her reluctant. The pale she-cat gave a low growl, scolding herself as she smelled her own fear-scent. If she did catch the toad nothing bad would happen.

With a slight reluctance, she got into the best hunting stance she could muster, creeping forward with caution. Fallenpaw made sure that no twigs or piles of pine needle were in her path as her orbs darted from the ground underpaw to the target ahead. Her whiskers twitched anxiously as the nightmare plagued her mind. She fought to think about the task at paw, that toad could be her ticket to a warrior name. Fallenpaw flinched as her thoughts drifted from the toad to Crookedclaw in a blink of an eye. She froze up, getting up from her crouch and tearing her gaze away from the toad, which had spotted her and leapt into the safety of the marsh. She clamped her eyes tightly shut, her ears laying back on her head as she wrapped her tail snug around her lithe form.

"Fallenpaw, are you alright?"

Fallenpaw ignored the meow, instead burying her head deeper into her own chest fur. The recent events roared in her ears. The stolen kits, the failed invasion, Redfang's betrayal, Deerpaw harboring a murderer's kits, Crookedclaw's death, Tawnyfern's guilt, the nightmare, all of it.

She didn't notice her mentor as he slipped out of the shadows, gazing at her with a look of concern.

"Fallenpaw, it's just one little assessment, you'll still get your name-" Stormeye started.

"I… I need to go back to camp." Fallenpaw muttered, cutting him off as she got to her paws.

She started towards camp, her eyes clouded. Stormeye stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Fallenpaw stared at her paws, freezing up again. She mentally wasn't ready to deal with anything else for the time being.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked softly.

Fallenpaw took a moment before answering, "everything."

"Darkstar will still give you your name, Fallenpaw."

Fallenpaw finally looked up at the tom, her eyes going from cloudy to frustrated. "I don't care about my warrior name! I know I'll get that eventually! There's just… I'm going now." She hissed, roughly shouldering him out of the way. She hated letting him see her at such a weak, pitiful state.

Much to her surprise and relief, Stormeye didn't pursue her.

XXX

Fallenpaw had trotted back to the ThunderClan border. Perhaps she'd get lucky and something would happen to take her mind off things. She scented the air, hoping for some sort of ThunderClan prey that may have stepped over the border. Fallenpaw decided she wouldn't mind the dusky taste of a mouse or gnawing on the chewy flesh of a squirrel. It would help erase the bitter-sweet taste of toad from her senses.

Her eyes scanned the bracken in her territory. It was unfamiliar, hunting in the undergrowth, but it gave her a thrill to say the least. Fallenpaw gave a hiss of annoyance as her legs became entangled in the strange ThunderClan-like bit of territory. She didn't understand how a cat could possibly walk in that mess, let alone hunt in it.

She quickly tore out of the undergrowth and sprang back into her nice, clear space by the pines. Fallenpaw froze as a purr of amusement entered her ears. She instinctively stared across the border, but saw nothing.

"It's me, Foxtail, you frog-brain." Foxtail purred, padding towards the pale she-cat.

Fallenpaw instantly relaxed, her hackles falling flat and her muscles loosening up. "Hello, Foxtail." She greeted, "what brings you here?"

"Alright, I'm going to be blunt. Stormeye sent me to check up on you." Foxtail smirked, his russet and white tail flicking slowly in the air.

Fallenpaw rolled her eyes, "well you go tell him I'm perfectly fine."

Foxtail settled in front of the apprentice, resting back on his haunches. "You don't look fine." He remarked, studying the she-cat carefully.

"This fight has to stop, Foxtail." She said suddenly, her eyes clouding over again.

Much to her surprise, Foxtail nodded. "Darkstar is letting his anger and impulsive nature endanger ShadowClan. Had he just waited another moon, or even a few more days to think that invasion through, we wouldn't have lost so many cats. I spoke to Bluefang, ThunderClan's medicine cat at the last meeting at the Moonpool, and he doesn't want to fight either." He spoke quietly.

"I know my father, and he's going to want to have another go at ThunderClan. I say we stop it." Fallenpaw said, her voice steadily gaining confidence.

"Should we? It would involve going behind Darkstar's back, Fallenpaw. Would you be willing to?" He asked seriously.

Fallenpaw hesitated, but nodded. "I want revenge for what they've done," she admitted, "but I want to wait. Should we go talk to Adderstar now?"

Foxtail shook his head, "no. It's too dark out, they'd get the wrong idea if we went now. Besides, there's something waiting for you at camp."

"Something?" Fallenpaw questioned.

Foxtail smirked, "yep. I think you'll like it."

XXX

Fallenpaw walked into camp with Foxtail at her side, quickly noticing the large mass of ShadowClan cats crowding around the Great Pine. Her heart sped up, her problems forgotten for the time being. She knew what was about to happen.

It was her warrior ceremony.

**Phew! Here I am again! Sorry that took so long, I was really busy this past week and didn't have much time for writing. But now my schedule is wide open again, so… hopefully I can get back to my typical updating speed! And I don't know if anyone noticed but I changed Darkfang's name to Bluefang because I felt that there were too many cats called 'Dark' something. So don't mind that! Oh! And more importantly, I would like to announce that I plan on a sequel to 'Pride/Insanity'! That will be all.**

**~Spotty **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 16:

_You brace yourself…_

"I do." Forestpaw announced, standing tall as she looked Darkstar in the eye.

Darkstar nodded, his amber orbs glinting as he spoke. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Forestpaw, from this moment you will be known as Forestclaw. StarClan honors your honesty and enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

The newly named Forestclaw beamed and licked Darkstar's shoulder before padding away to join the other warriors.

Fallenpaw watched with slight anger as she did so. Forestclaw was a kittypet, why should she go first? She was snapped out of her thoughts when Darkstar called for Goldpaw. The handsome tabby strode away from the other apprentices, his head held high; he was doing this for Sunblaze and Shinepaw, the cats who never had proper ceremonies.

"I, Darkstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and suffered many losses in his time, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." Darkstar began, clearly missing the sorrowful pang in Goldpaw's orbs at the mention of his siblings and his late mentor.

"Goldpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Darkstar asked, his gaze along with the rest of ShadowClan's boring into the young cat.

Goldpaw gave a slow nod, "I do."

Darkstar, satisfied at his response, continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Goldpaw, from this moment you will be known as Golddust. StarClan honors your spirit and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Golddust gave Darkstar a brief shoulder lick just before padding towards Forestclaw, who affectionately licked his ear. Fallenpaw blinked, she hadn't thought about Forestclaw becoming anything more to Golddust as a friend.

Fallenpaw barely took notice when Darkstar called for Pinepaw, only noticing when his dark tabby fur brushed against her pale fur. Her brother had a slight bounce to his step as he made his way to their father.

Darkstar's eyes gleamed proudly, "I, Darkstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice, my son. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."

Pinepaw's whiskers twitched in excitement, his tail flicking impatiently.

"Pinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Darkstar asked, the pride still prominent in his gaze.

"I do!" Pinepaw meowed loudly, ignoring the purrs of amusement from his father and clanmates.

Clearly pleased with his son's response, Darkstar continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pinepaw, from this moment you will be known as Pinewhisker. StarClan honors your courage and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Pinewhisker held his head high, giving his father a lick on the shoulder before bouncing over to where Golddust and Forestclaw sat.

Fallenpaw began to shuffle her paws anxiously as she realized that just her and Deerpaw were left. She hoped Darkstar would call her up first so she wouldn't have to stand awkwardly to the side with Rosepaw and Lillypaw.

Her tail lashed with disappointment as Deerpaw neared Darkstar, ready for her name.

Darkstar's eyes shone as Deerpaw approached him, yet they didn't hold the same amount of pride as when Pinewhisker was before him. "I, Darkstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice, my daughter. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in his turn."

Deerpaw watched her paws nervously, her ears twitching as Darkstar spoke.

"Deerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Darkstar asked, most of the pride in his orbs replaced with overall seriousness.

Deerpaw let out a quiet but confident, "I do."

Darkstar nodded at his daughter. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Deerpaw, from this moment you will be known as Deerpetal. StarClan honors your warmth and patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Deerpetal purred at the sound of her new name; it fit her very well. She gave Darkstar a swift lick on his shoulder, quickly leaving to join Pinewhisker and the other new warriors with her tail curled in delight.

Darkstar's gaze now rested on Fallenpaw, beckoning her closer with his tail. Fallenpaw blinked her anxiety away; it was her warrior ceremony and her father was giving Fallenpaw her full name, she shouldn't be nervous. She picked up her pace until her father was just a tail's length from her. Fallenpaw felt a little self-conscious next to him, because despite the fact that Fallenpaw was nearly full grown, Darkstar was still at least twice her size; it was hard to believe they were related.

Fallenpaw stared into Darkstar's eyes, and much to her shock, she found no trace of pride. It was just… _empty_. Slightly stunned, Fallenpaw listened to her ceremony.

"I, Darkstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in his turn." Darkstar said slowly, his gaze flickering from his daughter and his clan.

"Fallenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Darkstar asked, a daring glint dancing in his eyes.

Fallenpaw narrowed her orbs, barely suppressing a snarl at her father's actions. "I do."

Darkstar fell silent for a moment, narrowing his eyes into slits at Fallenpaw. Darkstar then tore his gaze from Fallenpaw and spoke. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Fallenpaw, from this moment you will be known as Fallenflame. StarClan honors your independence and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Fallenflame stiffly nodded, padding towards Darkstar. Before licking his shoulder, her face lingers by Darkstar's ear. "I don't know what your deal is, father, but if you're asking me to back down, I won't." She hissed quietly before giving him a quick lick and joining her fellow warriors.

When she looked back at Darkstar, she could've sworn she saw an amused smirk on his face. Fallenflame was about ready to yowl at the ShadowClan leader when the clan began chanting the names of the new warriors.

"Forestclaw, Golddust, Pinewhisker, Deerpetal, Fallenflame! Forestclaw, Golddust, Pinewhisker, Deerpetal, Fallenflame!" The clan yowled, crowding around the five new warriors.

Fallenflame tried her best to soak up the attention, as it was what she craved. All of her best dreams involved her clan chanting her name, bathing her in praises… but her father was acting strange and it was definitely unsettling.

"Congratulations, Fallenflame." Stormeye purred from behind her.

The pale-gray she-cat turned to face her former mentor, giving him a curt nod; her mind was in a different place. He seemed to notice.

"Why did you send Foxtail?" She asked.

Stormeye's mood changed almost instantly. "You were acting weird earlier, and I wanted to make sure you were alright, but I didn't want to get clawed in the process."

Fallenflame rolled her eyes, lightly knocking into the black and white tom's side. "You're a warrior, you should be used to getting clawed in the muzzle."

His eyes flashed, "Fallenpaw-"

"Fallen_flame._" She swiftly corrected.

Stormeye flicked his ears in slight irritation, "I need you to tell me."

"I don't know if you've forgotten, but you aren't my mentor anymore. I don't have to listen to you anymore."

"You didn't listen to me half the time when you were an apprentice."

Fallenflame's ears flattened against her skull. "I'm going to talk to Deerpetal now." She muttered, twisting around to see Deerpetal stalking angrily away from Thornstep.

"Deerpaw." Fallenflame greeted, trying her best to hide her happiness that she wasn't talking to Thornstep.

Deerpetal instantly brightens at the sight of her sister. "Fallenpaw!" She purred, nuzzling the pale she-cat's muzzle.

"That's Fallen_flame _to you." Fallenflame corrected, her pale orbs shining.

Deerpetal gave a purr, "well that's Deer_petal_ to you_._"

Fallenflame and Deerpetal both gave purrs of amusement before Deerpetal apologized for getting her name wrong.

Fallenflame shrugged, looking behind Deerpetal at Thornstep. He looked livid, his hackles raised, his ears flat, his lips peeled back. Everything about him screamed anger.

"What'd you say to him?" She asked.

Deerpetal's mood changed. "Well earlier today I took him out into the forest and told him about the kits, which he was very happy about by the way," she began, "but then I told him that I knew about Redfang. He tried to talk me out of thinking he was the killer, but I wouldn't believe him, so that just made him angry. Then I told him that for that reason, he wouldn't get to lay claim to his kits."

Fallenflame gave a slow nod, not noticing as the hoard of cats began to dissipate, some going to their dens while others went to start midnight patrols. "But that doesn't explain why he's still mad."

"Oh, that." Deerpetal said. "He tried to apologize to me so he could be a father to his kits, but I didn't accept the apology so now he's sulking."

The pale-gray she-cat flicked her ears. "He'll get over it eventually."

Deerpetal looked at her paws. "I wouldn't say that. Fallenflame, you don't know what it's like to have kits, _your _kits. They're half you, it's only natural that you want to be part of their lives. He won't get over it, having to watch kits that are half you grow up without you from afar. It will pain him forever, and the guilt of not allowing him to father his kits will plague me forever, but he deserves it for what he's done." She said, her voice shrinking as she spoke.

Fallenflame gave a slow nod as she processed Deerpetal's words.

"Of course, you might know that feeling soon enough; I saw you talking to Stormeye again." Deerpetal said slyly, looking up from her paws.

"The feeling of what it's like to murder a clanmate?" Fallenflame questioned, "well I suppose if he doesn't leave me alone I might…"

Deerpetal glared at her sister, "now you know that's not what I meant!"

Fallenflame rolled her eyes. "No kit will ever call me their mother, not ever. I want to be Darkstar's successor, Deerpetal, and if Fogfur wasn't so old then maybe I'd consider having kits. Besides, Crookedclaw isn't alive anymore, I'm not having kits." She said firmly.

The light brown she-cat's face faltered for a moment before it regained its confidence. "Well then it was StarClan telling you that Crookedclaw wasn't meant for you-"

"Or that I wasn't meant to be a mother." Fallenflame interrupted.

Deerpetal parted her jaws, only for Pinewhisker's voice to spew out of it. "Are you two coming? It's time to sit vigil!"

"Coming." Fallenflame said calmly, padding towards Pinewhisker.

**Yay Fallenflame's a warrior! Okay, now for an explanation on why I picked Fallenflame over Fallensnow. From the very beginning, I've tried hard to keep Fallenflame's paws off the path of being a Mary-Sue. I've tried to make her personality different, like instead of making her be sweet, quiet, and innocent, or bitter, violent, and evil, you know? To be honest with you, I like the name Fallensnow a lot. But… so do a lot of people on FF. I had originally planned (after the poll) to name her Fallensnow, but then I started reading warrior FFs and found a LOT of Fallensnows in the allegiances of other stories, but no Fallenflames anywhere (of course you guys may have seen one or two others), so I decided to keep Fallenflame special and different, I picked the name that wasn't in every other FF. Oh, and I've decided that the next chapter will be an updated allegiances on all four clans and that will be up maybe tomorrow? So… yeah. Bye!**

**~Spotty **


	18. Chapter 18

**Updated Allegiances:**

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Darkstar- Broad dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Fogfur- Black she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Yarrowtail- Gray she-cat with pale blue eyes

_Apprentice: Foxtail_

Warriors:

Dustclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Owlfeather- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Redpool- Reddish she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Lillypaw_

Scorchtalon- Large mottled tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Rosepaw_

Bluethorn- Blue gray she-cat with blue eyes

Quailflight- Gray and brown she-cat with black specks and green eyes

Lucy- A former kittypet; Fluffy white she-cat with bright amber eyes

Whiteheart- A former kittypet; Fluffy white tom with gray splotches and green eyes

Greenflower- Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Hailpelt- White and gray she-cat with green eyes

Mottleface- Brown and black mottled tom with amber eyes

Flamepath- Russet she-cat with green eyes and white paws

Runningstream- Brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Wildclaw- Black tom with blue eyes

Stormeye- Black and white tom with one green eye and one blue eye

Tornstem- Black and white tom with green eyes

Thornstep- Deep brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Marshfur- Black tom with a white muzzle and paws with blue eyes

Shadespots- White tom with gray patches and amber eyes

Tawnyfern- Black and brown she-cat with blue eyes

Forestclaw- Brown and black mottled she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes

Golddust- Handsome gold tabby tom with a white chest and underbelly and blue eyes

Fallenflame- Pale-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Pinewhisker- Handsome dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deerpetal- White-dappled light brown she-cat with green eyes

Queens:

Rowanheart- Pretty dark gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

_Kits: (stolen from ThunderClan) Darkkit, Duskkit; formerly Thrushkit and Cloverkit_

Apprentices:

Foxtail- Russet and black tom with green eyes

Lillypaw- Black she-cat with one white paw and green eyes

Rosepaw- White she-cat with green eyes

Elders:

Heathertail- Soft-pelted gray she-cat with green eyes

Adderfang- Dark-furred tabby tom with blue eyes

Rockclaw- Brown and white tom with amber eyes

**ThunderClan:**

Leader: Adderstar- Gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Grasswing- Black she-cat with long fur and green eyes

Medicine Cat: Darkfang

Warriors:

Petalstorm- White she-cat with green eyes

Badgerclaw- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Mousetail- Gray tom with blue eyes

Whispertail- Big brown tom with white paws and green eyes

Flamestorm- Handsome ginger tom with green eyes

Runningstorm- Lean ginger tom with striking green eyes

Blossomstep- Tawny and white she-cat with blue eyes

Littleflower- Tawny and white she-cat with green eyes

Russetheart- Russet she-cat with green eyes and a white underbelly and one white paw

Sageberry- Pretty white she-cat with green eyes

Rainwhisker- White and gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes; mother of ShadowClan kits

Queens:

Swiftpath-Black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Elders:

Snaketail- Gray tabby tom with amber eyes 

**WindClan:**

Leader: Swiftstar- Light gray she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Harefoot- Big pawed black tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: Berryclaw- White tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Featherfall_

Warriors:

Whisperpool- Brown she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Applepaw_

Wildheart- White wiry tom with green eyes

Yellowtail- Yellow tom with a rather long tail and green eyes

Snowdusk- Pretty silver and white she-cat with blue eyes

Bluecloud- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Dawnpaw_

Acorntail- Brown tabby tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Breezepaw_

Brightstream- Russet and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Foxflight- Russet and white tabby she-cat with green eyes

Maggotclaw- Ugly black and gray tom with amber eyes

Sedgeclaw- White and gray tom with blue eyes

Hawkstrike- Broad, wiry silver tom with green eyes

Queens:

Silverstreak- Pretty silver and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Leafbreeze- Black she-cat with green eyes

**RiverClan:**

Leader: Streamstar- Silver she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: Sleetpelt- Gray tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Wolfheart- Black and gray tom with amber eyes

Warriors:

Rippletail- Gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Birdsong- White she-cat with silver paws and muzzle, has green eyes

Troutheart- Mottled she-cat with green eyes

Blazeclaw- Brown and ginger tom with green eyes

Thornfur- Brown tom with amber eyes

Echobreeze- Pretty brown and white tabby she-cat with green eyes

Clearflower- White she-cat with blue eyes

Smallclaw- Smaller gray and black tom with amber eyes

Queens:

Skypool- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Deadwater- Black tom with blue eyes


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 17:

**EmberskyofShadowclan: Aw thanks! I actually thought of Fallenflame myself, the other names were suggested. And yup, Darkstar's being a little… strange… but that'll work itself out! Maybe! And maybe Stormeye and Fallenflame will end up together, maybe they won't. ;) PS: Thanks for being the ONLY PERSON TO REVIEW!**

_May the darkness light your path…_

That night, it was quiet. Fallenflame sat closest to Pinewhisker, her pelt nearly touching her brother's while her other side remained unguarded, touched only by the night. Her orbs wandered towards the other four warriors she was sitting with. Pinewhisker's amber eyes stared straight ahead, so focused that he barely blinked; the rest of him was deathly still. Deerpetal was a different story, shivering when the late-night leaf-fall breeze ruffled her fur. It didn't look like she was focusing on anything other than the fact that she was cold. Golddust sat to Deerpetal's right and to Forestclaw's left, and similar to Pinewhisker, he was unmoving. He was clearly thinking about something. Forestclaw on the other paw, was looking around, sneezing when a stray pine needle landed on her muzzle; she looked worried for a moment, as though she feared that she'd broken the silence required for the vigil.

Fallenflame rolled her eyes at the former loner, silently wondering how she'd managed to become a warrior. It was something she thought about quite a bit, along with Lucy and Whiteheart and Golddust too. Their blood wasn't pure, and yet they still carried names of warriors, excluding Lucy of course. Fallenflame shook her head lightly, as no matter how long she'd think about it, she'd never come up with the exact reason. She was wasting her time of silence.

She began to think about the unofficial meeting with Adderstar that Foxtail and herself would be attending. Her stomach churned, suddenly making the whole thing feel stupid. The more Fallenflame thought about it, the more she realized how rash it was. For all she knew, her plan could fail as badly as Darkstar's ambush. Her muscles relaxed when she remembered that Foxtail wasn't a warrior, he wasn't even a medicine cat, he was just the medicine cat's apprentice. And all Fallenflame was in that situation was a guard to protect the innocent medicine cat apprentice from harm, she was merely an escort. Foxtail would be doing the talking. Everything would go smoothly.

XXX

Fallenflame watched as her clanmates dug into their prey the following morning. She was sitting with Deerpetal and Tawnyfern, of course, Tawnyfern was talking with Deerpetal, not Fallenflame. Her orbs began to close a little, it had been a long night and she just wanted to sleep.

"Fallenflame, are you sure you're not hungry?" Deerpetal asked, licking a starling feather off her muzzle.

The pale she-cat's gaze flickered to the fresh-kill pile; only toad was left.

She gave a slow nod, "yes. I'm sure."

Deerpetal stared at her sister for a while longer before giving a slow nod. "Alright, if you're sure."

Fallenflame looked blankly at Deerpetal. "I'm a warrior now, I'm able to make my own choices. I've always been able to."

"Right." Deerpetal said quietly before diverting her attention back to her starling and Tawnyfern.

Fallenflame nodded despite the fact that the soon-to-be-queen wasn't looking at her anymore. The whole morning she had been a little out of it. Darkstar had officially announced that the ThunderClan kits, Cloverkit and Thrushkit, wouldn't be returned to ThunderClan and would be raised in ShadowClan. Fallenflame nearly hissed at the memory. She knew Rowanheart renamed Thrushkit as Darkkit specifically so she could say he was named in Darkstar's honor.

After that meeting, Foxtail had taken her out of camp and created a definite time when they would go to ThunderClan. Her attention was turned to the sun at the thought. When the sun reached its peak, the two would leave to talk to Adderstar. She breathed a sweet, slow sigh of relief when she saw that the sun was only half way up its perch; there was still time.

"I'm going on a walk." Fallenflame said suddenly, getting to her paws and leaving the two she-cats to eat their prey.

She didn't wait around for them to respond, instead hurrying out of camp. She desperately needed to clear her head.

XXX

Fallenflame didn't want to go back to camp. She didn't want to talk to Adderstar, not today at least. All she wanted was to sit there, belly up on a pile of pine needles while she watched the clouds go by. Fallenflame was sick of dealing with her clanmates for the time being. Perhaps it was all just the lack of sleep and food that was making her this way. Perhaps after a quick nap she would feel better. Maybe it would all just go away.

"There you are!"

Fallenflame's head jerked up from the needles, her orbs round with surprise as Foxtail ran at her, his eyes filled with annoyance.

"I was looking all over for you! Come on, we have to go before it gets dark." Foxtail snapped, his tail thrashing around impatiently.

"Sorry." She muttered, getting to her paws and shaking her pelt free of pine needle.

Foxtail rolled his eyes, "she-cats."

Fallenflame hissed at the medicine cat, cuffing him around the ear. "Let's just get this over with."

"It was your idea, Fallenflame. You need to start thinking before you speak," Foxtail began, his voice taking on a lecturing tone, "I'm surprised Stormeye didn't get on you about that more. If you didn't want to go to the heart of ThunderClan with me, then you shouldn't have said it."

Fallenflame's ears laid back on her skull, her lips peeling back over her gums. "It was a heat of the moment thing, Foxtail! I wasn't thinking!"

"You just contradicted yourself." Foxtail retorted smugly.

"Do you want me to hit your muzzle? Because if you don't shut it I won't hesitate." Fallenflame growled, her tail lashing around behind her as she began to walk towards the ThunderClan border.

Foxtail rolled his eyes as he began to follow Fallenflame, "how did I get stuck going to ThunderClan's camp with the clan's most stubborn, stern, and self-centered she-cat?"

Fallenflame slowed her pace ever so slightly before swatting the medicine cat in the face with her tail.

"You're lucky I didn't bite that." He muttered, padding up to Fallenflame's side.

Fallenflame shot him a brief glare before fixing her orbs on the path ahead. "You got lucky." She responded.

"What?"

"You asked how you got stuck going with me, so I answered your question."

"It was rhetorical, you weren't supposed to answer it."

"Well I did, is there a problem?"

"No, it was just a little late."

"Shut up before I hurt you."

"You're an interesting she-cat, Fallenflame, you know that?"

"Well you're a dull, boring tom, Foxtail, did you know that?"

"I can see how Stormeye had such a hard time training you."

"What- How do you know if my mentor had problems with me?"

"Stormeye and I go all the way back to kits, Fallenflame. We're good friends."

"And I care why?"

"You asked."

Fallenflame hissed at the tom, increasing her pace when she saw the ThunderClan border. Foxtail did the same, matching her stride to stride. Her ears laid back, breaking into a run. She had barely crossed the border before her legs became entangled in the bracken once again, earning a purr of amusement and slight mockery from Foxtail.

"If you know what's good for you you'll stop that." Fallenflame growled as she ripped herself out of the undergrowth.

Foxtail smirked, "that's why I didn't speed up."

"And no warning for me? I thought medicine cats were supposed to be nice!" Fallenflame complained, shaking her pelt free of bracken and brambles.

"Hey, I am nice," Foxtail defended, "I'm just a tad smug, like you."

"I bet if Yarrowtail was here she would chide at you for doing that to a she-cat." She purred, the edge in her voice smoothing out.

"If Yarrowtail was here, I'd get yelled at for talking to you." Foxtail muttered quietly.

Fallenflame's purrs slowed as did her pace. "What?"

Foxtail's eyes widened, "you didn't hear that, got it?"

Fallenflame's gaze hardened, the she-cat stepping in front of Foxtail to block his path. "Uh, yeah, I did hear that."

"Forget it." Foxtail growled, his face hardening.

She blinked in surprise at his tone. "But I can't forget it now. You've got to tell me since it obviously involves me."

"I said, _forget it._" He snarled, his lips peeling back over his gums.

"Fine, I'll forget it until we get back to our camp." Fallenflame said, dismissing it with a flick of her tail.

Foxtail loosened up a little at her response, "good. We will not revisit this conversation ever again though, got it?"

Fallenflame growled in frustration. "What do you not get about discussing it when we get back into ShadowClan territory-"

"Get back? That's cute, Fallenpaw." The familiar meow of Grasswing echoed in her ears.

Fallenflame whirled around, squaring herself in front of the black she-cat and two other ThunderClan cats she didn't recognize.

"Fallenflame." Foxtail warned, waving his russet and white tail in front of her face, reminding her that she wasn't there to fight.

Grasswing recoiled in mock surprise, "what? Fallenpaw's all grown up now?"

The other cats on her patrol snickered at their deputy's comment, their gazes boring into Fallenflame's pelt.

Sensing what was going to happen next, Foxtail stepped in front of Fallenflame to face Grasswing. "Grasswing, Fallen_flame _and myself wish to speak with Adderstar."

Grasswing's amused glint in her orbs died, replaced by suspicion. "Where's the rest of your battle patrol? I expect Darkstar's going to leap out at any moment now."

Fallenflame forced herself to stay still out of fear that she'd wreck the fragile peace that Foxtail had worked to create and keep.

"No, Darkstar doesn't even know about this. Fallenflame and I are going behind his back." Foxtail meowed, his orbs locking with Grasswing's.

Grasswing stared the two down for a moment longer as she processed Foxtail's words. She slowly nodded, "alright. We'll take you two to camp, but if any more of your scum is hiding out in our territory, our patrols will hunt them down and there will be no mercy."

**Yay another one down! Oh my gosh I'm really excited for the next chapter, it's really important to the plot building of the story! And I reread my last authors' note and realized that it was practically illegible so… sorry! That's all I have to say!**

**~Spotty**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 18:

_**Stuffed Watermelon: Well, here it is!**_

**LeNyannin: Yeah, I can see how it would do that… well, I'm glad you like it though :D**

_**EmberskyofShadowClan: Me too! Oh wait… I already know ;) **_

**Forestclaw: Maybe it'll happen, maybe not**

_**Mcreed1000: Aw thanks! And yeah Fallenflame gets that a lot…**_

**One Twinkle in a Million: Yay you caught up! And yeah now that I think about it, I do use orb a lot, don't I? Well I tried harder not to use it so much. I've even thrown in iris now! And I KNEW that someone would think about FallenxFox! I just knew it! And like StormxFallen, maybe, maybe not ;) **

_Rain turns to hail…_

Fallenflame glanced around her. She despised ThunderClan's territory; the way the leaves crunched beneath her paws; the way tree roots grabbed at her paws; the way the bracken would yank her down; all of it. It was a shame Crookedclaw breathed his final breath here.

The pale-gray she-cat padded behind Grasswing with Foxtail at her side. She stared at her paws for the majority of the walk, ensuring that she wasn't tangling herself into the undergrowth in front of Grasswing; she'd embarrassed herself in front of her enough.

"So," Grasswing began, "what business do you have with Adderstar?"

"We're not here to talk to you." Foxtail said simply, hiding a smirk as Grasswing recoiled.

She gave a stiff nod, quickly regaining her composure. "We're almost there, by the way."

"Alright." Fallenflame said, purring a little at Grasswing's disappointed stature. The way her shoulders hung so low greatly pleased her, giving Fallenflame a sense of security, like she was the one in charge.

"Do you think they're here to sabotage us?" A white she-cat whom Fallenflame easily identified as Petalstorm, asked the newly named Russetheart.

Russetheart shrugged, "it's just Foxtail, I bet he's just here to talk to Bluefang about something stupid."

"No… ShadowClan's pretty crafty, they'll say they just want to talk, then they'll bite your head clean off your shoulders." Petalstorm insisted, her irises glaring warily into Fallenflame's fur.

Fallenflame flicked her ears in annoyance, "well ThunderClan's pretty loud, they'll say stuff and think no one hears them when everyone does. Oh, and sometimes they're even dumb enough to talk about cats when they're right in front of them."

Petalstorm lowered her head, her pelt flushing with embarrassment. Russetheart on the other paw, merely rolled her eyes. "Leave it to ShadowClan to _attempt _to shame other cats in their own territory."

The pale she-cat whipped her head around to deliver a fierce glare. "Oh really? Well leave it to ThunderClan to _attempt _to silence _guests_ in their own territory."

Much to her surprise, Russetheart was completely unfazed by the look, as she simply stared back at Fallenflame. "You two are far from guests, if anything, you're more like prisoners."

Fallenflame parted her jaws to make a retort, only for Foxtail to speak first. "Taking a medicine cat prisoner will anger StarClan. I suggest thinking wisely before speaking to us again." He said coolly. Fallenflame purred at his words, deciding that after talking to Adderstar she would be spending more time with Foxtail.

Grasswing surprised the two ShadowClan cats when she spoke next, "if you two know what's good for you you'll keep quiet for the rest of the walk." Petalstorm and Russetheart nodded, their eyes flashing at Foxtail and Fallenflame.

Fallenflame rolled her eyes at the threat, dismissing it with a flick of her tail. "I'll talk when I want."

Grasswing stopped Fallenflame, a look of hatred smeared across her features. The two locked gazes, Fallenflame holding a defiant look, almost as though she was daring Grasswing to make a move, while Grasswing simply glared back at her.

Seconds later, the ThunderClan deputy leapt at Fallenflame, pinning her to the earth. Fallenflame gave a snarl of surprise, thrashing around under Grasswing, slapping the black she-cat's cheek with an unsheathed claw on instinct. Grasswing gave a hiss of fury, her ears laid flat on her head as she did the same thing to Fallenflame; a smirk grew on her face at the sight of the ShadowClan cat's blood as it dribbled down her face. The pale she-cat growled at her smugness, snapping her fangs at Grasswing until her teeth caught on her jaw. Fallenflame promptly jerked her head down, forcing a yowl of pain from Grasswing when her fangs tore through her facial flesh. Crimson spilled out of her muzzle, splattering across Fallenflame's formerly gray pelt.

Grasswing staggered off of Fallenflame, her eyes glazed with pain and confusion as she leaked blood from her muzzle. Fallenflame leapt to her paws, gagging at the taste of the ThunderClan cat's blood.

"Gross!" She spat, "tastes like coward!"

At Fallenflame's words, Russetheart rammed into her, spoiling Fallenflame's moment of triumph over her rival. The two she-cat grappled on the bracken-coated ground, both spitting furiously at each other as claws hooked and fangs tore on the both of them. Fallenflame unwillingly cried out in pain as Russetheart shredded an ear between her teeth, maiming it beyond repair. At this Russetheart gave a smug smirk, "ShadowClan are cowards, they've always been. ThunderClan is brave and courageous-"

"ThunderClan is anything but courageous! That clan is just a bunch of lonely kittypets begging for a beating!" Fallenflame snarled, snapping at Russetheart's throat.

Russetheart leapt backwards at her movement, having learned from Grasswing's mistake. "Petalstorm, can you take this?" She asked the senior warrior, who was currently watching anxiously as Foxtail helped the still bleeding Grasswing.

The white she-cat blinked for a second, almost as though she'd blanked out before nodding, springing in front of Fallenflame. Russetheart glanced at Foxtail and Grasswing, "stay here." The reddish she-cat then ran deeper into her territory, assumedly going to ThunderClan's camp for backup. Fallenflame snarled at Russetheart, roughly shouldering Petalstorm aside and tearing after the younger warrior. Much to her surprise, Petalstorm quickly caught up to her having the advantage of being used to the tangling bracken that was underpaw. The white warrior shoved Fallenflame down, sinking her yellowed fangs into the top of her throat close to her bleeding ear. The pale she-cat screeched at the sharp pain as she wriggled around, trying to escape her grip. She felt her fur soak up her own blood as it oozed from her neck wound; Petalstorm paid it no heed, only sinking her teeth further and further into her throat.

"Stop! You'll kill her!" Foxtail snapped, leaving Grasswing to help his clanmate.

Petalstorm's irises were dark and glazed over; she looked like a corpse, unable to tell what she was doing as she slowly drained Fallenflame's life from her body.

Fallenflame's vision began to blur from the pain alone.

Foxtail seemed to notice, as he did something medicine cats rarely do: he swiped at Petalstorm's face, his claws catching on her scarred ear. That got her attention. She dropped Fallenflame, her weakened self landing on a thud.

The ShadowClan she-cat struggled to her feet, narrowing her eyes at her opponent before sloppily stumbling up behind her. She knew Petalstorm would hurt Foxtail if she didn't act fast. Fallenflame then did something Stormeye had done to her when she was just an apprentice. She clamped her jaws around Petalstorm's tail and yanked on it as hard as she could. Petalstorm yowled in surprise, whipping around and slashing Fallenflame's cheek, sending her crashing back to the ground.

Black splotches sullied her vision, the darkness swallowing up the light with every passing second. Fallenflame began to panic, her heart speeding up as the memory of her nightmare resurfaced. She tried to stand back up again, but just like in her dream, she was frozen in place, held tightly to the ground by bracken. Only this time, the yarrow never showed up. No one was there to save her when she blacked out.

XXX

_Fallenflame walked through a field of tall grasses and daisies, her eyes half closed in contentment. It'd been a long time since she was this relaxed; this happy. Her blue gaze quickly glanced at the sky; it was an orangey-pink that tinged the clouds that hid the sinking sun. The pale she-cat's heart fluttered frightfully at the thought of the earth swallowing the sun and spitting the moon back up. She used loved nighttime just like all Shadowclan cats; they craved the darkness. _

_ Her elation quickly faded away. How pathetic, a ShadowClan cat who feared the dark and cringed at the taste of toad. She sat on her haunches, looking around in a panicked fashion for ShadowClan's territory. Fallenflame just knew she had to get back to her nest before she lost her mind for good._

_ "Don't be scared." A voice squeaked from behind her. _

_ Fallenflame's eyes widened in partial fear, spinning around to see… a kit. _

_ The kit was black with baby-blue eyes and especially thick neck fur. Stars decorated his pelt. He looked happy to see Fallenflame. _

_ He hopped over a pebble, purring in delight when he looked behind himself and saw that he'd successfully cleared it. The kitten then turned his attention back to Fallenflame, looking up at her. "I've been waiting to see you forever! I missed you so much, did you miss me?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "Every time I asked if I could visit you, Daddy would tell me no. But now Daddy's busy talking to Mosskit's Momma so I snuck out to see you!" _

_ Fallenflame stayed silent, a look of confusion sprawled across her face. She'd forgotten all about leaving for her nest now. "Who… who are you?" She asked._

_ The enthusiasm died in his eyes, his tail drooping behind him. Fallenflame suddenly regretted asking. "You… you don't remember me?" He asked sadly._

_ She dipped her head in apology, something she rarely did. "No, I don't. Would you mind telling me your name?"_

_ "My name's Wolfkit." _

_ Her heart stopped for a moment when she remembered the wolf in her dream. Was that kit the wolf in her dream? "Have you ever visited me in my dreams before, Wolfkit?"_

_ Wolfkit shook his head, confusion twinkling in his eyes for a brief moment. "Oh! Fallenkit-" Wolfkit stopped himself short, staring at his paws for a second before correcting himself, "Fallenflame, can I tell you what I want my warrior name to be if Daddy ever lets me?" _

_ Fallenflame blinked, "um… sure?"_

_ Wolfkit brightened at her response. "If I got to grow up with you in ShadowClan, I would be called Wolfthroat because of all the fur on my throat!"_

_ "Wait, what-" Fallenflame stopped herself. Why wouldn't she have heard about Wolfkit? "Surely Darkstar-"_

_ "Don't say that!" Wolfkit suddenly shrieked, flattening himself to the ground, his kitten-fur fluffed up in fear._

_ Fallenflame stood stunned, as she hadn't realized she'd said that last bit out loud. "What? Why can't I? Darkstar's my father-"_

_ Wolfkit shook his head fiercely. "Darkstar's a bad cat, Fallenflame." He whimpered._

_ "I don't think so, Wolfkit. The worst thing he's done is demote Redfang for no reason."_

_ "No!" Wolfkit said loudly. "He's a horrible cat, Fallenflame, why won't you believe me?!"_

_ Fallenflame looked down at the young StarClan member, "what did he do that's so horrible?"_

_ Wolfkit began to tremble as he looked the ShadowClan warrior in the eye. "Fallenflame… Darkstar killed me." _

**Whoa! I finally updated! Sorry about the wait on that sucker, I had a tough time writing the beginning for some reason, and well you know how I have no life, right? Well I spent so much time on this computer that I hurt my pinky fingers from my poor typing stance so it hurt to move them for a while (had to tape them to my ring fingers for a few days) and it's a real pain to type with your fingers taped together, so I just took a little break from writing. **


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 19:

_**Mcreed1000: Well wouldn't that put a damper on things? Having Fallenflame die before the end of the story… so for that, I too hope that I don't kill Fallenflame before the end of the story! :D**_

**Stuffed Watermelon: Sweet! You've got like psychic powers or something like that! And maybe that'll happen for Fallenflame, since it's her dream and all :D**

_**Moonbeam141: Yup, and trust me, it won't end there! :D**_

**EmberskyofShadowClan: What?! You don't like Darkstar?! Haha just kidding ;) And yeah, that won't be the last of cute little Wolfkit. **

_**One Twinkle in a Million: YOU ARE THE BEST! Thanks for taking time out to point that dumb stuff out! *Rips hair out* BUT WHY CAN'T I EVER GET MY PUNCTUATION RIGHT?! Seriously, in Elementary School, I was called the Comma Queen because I used too many commas, but now I'm not using enough! Arg! I'll never get this right! (But I'll still work on it) By the way, I know this is a little random, but is that your bird in your profile picture? Cuz I think it's really cute :D**_

**Forestclaw: Thanks! And I can't wait to write the rest! :D**

_**DarkAngle643: Don't worry, I'll get to that reason soon! ;)**_

_The hail pelts you when you come to realize…_

Fallenflame awoke to the soft pitter-patter of rain. She immidately felt sore and the stinging on her throat made her want to kill the ThunderClan mange-pelt who sunk her teeth into her.

The she-cat had been in this den for at least two days, as she'd woken up once before in the heat of the afternoon sun. Out of desperation, Fallenflame had gone back to sleep to try to get more information out of Wolfkit. However, her streak of bad luck didn't let up; her sleep was dreamless.

She was tempted to just fall asleep again, as she wasn't quite ready to face reality. Fallenflame wanted to think more, try to see if she recalled any cats in her clan talking about Wolfkit. Surely if Darkstar had murdered a kit some cat would've said something around her, especially if this kit apparently knew her somehow. Of course, Fallenflame knew if she slept any longer that some cat would wake her up. She hoped it would be Foxtail telling her that it was time to go home.

One pale iris opened halfway to scan her surroundings. A small stream was a few tail-lengths away from her, pooling into a small depression in the rock and the scent of herbs was strong. It nearly overpowered the stench of ThunderClan.

Fallenflame opened both eyes and looked at the other parts of the cramped den, ignoring the sharp pain in her neck. Herbs were stuffed into little cracks and crevasses in the back of the den and two empty nests sat in the den. One was right next to her while the other was closer to the stream. She assumed that one was Bluefang's, ThunderClan's medicine cat. Other than that, the den was empty and rather dark, which upset the pale she-cat.

"Fallenflame." A voice greeted, the cat's figure blocking the small beam of light that filtered through the entrance as it entered the den.

She knew exactly who it was right away. "Adderstar." She responded coldly, narrowing her eyes at her.

Adderstar flicked her ears at the comment, warning her to drop the attitude. This time, Fallenflame listened. She was in no shape to insult the ThunderClan leader in her own camp.

"We need to talk." Adderstar said after a moment, pale blue eyes flashing in the dim light.

"That's what we came here to do." Fallenflame replied.

Adderstar stiffened for a second, but loosened up quickly. "Yes. First question, what happened to Cloverkit and Thrushkit?"

Fallenflame paused, thinking her future words through. She knew if she didn't go about that particular subject in the right way that she could be punished by Darkstar, who apparently murdered kittens. "They're safe."

Adderstar breathed a relieved sigh, but regained her seriousness. "Alright, now where are they and when are they coming home?"

"That's not up to me." She said curtly, making sure to keep her responses short and non-threatening.

A low growl rumbled in Adderstar's throat. "Then who's it up to?" She asked darkly.

"Darkstar." Fallenflame responded.

Her eyes widened in mild alarm, "I have to get them back before it's too late."

"Adderstar, what do you mean? Of course it would be up to Darkstar," She said, trying to get a reaction out of the gray and white cat by saying his name as frequently as possible.

She drew her gums back, revealing a set of yellowish fangs. "You should know why-"

"Adderstar, I know absolutely nothing."

"No you-" She stopped herself, staring at her paws, clearly conflicted.

"Do you mind if I ask a question?" Fallenflame asked quietly.

She didn't respond, so Fallenflame took her silence as a yes. "Did Darkstar ever… kill any kits?"

Adderstar's head snapped up, staring directly at the pale she-cat. "Yes."

Fallenflame's heart beat sped up as she vouched for Wolfkit's claim. "Is that why you picked a fight with ShadowClan?"

Her gaze shifted back to her paws, "it's part of the reason."

"What's the other part?" Fallenflame asked, taking Adderstar's place of interrogation.

"I… I'm angry at my sister, I'm angry at Blacksoot, I'm angry at StarClan for letting this all happen." She looked pathetically at Fallenflame, her orbs glazed over and defeated-looking. "I'm just really angry."

"Would you mind telling me who Blacksoot is?" She asked gently, shifting around in her nest as she was unused to all the moss that lined it.

Her gaze darkened, "Blacksoot… that foul excuse for a cat stole my sister away from her clan, away from me. Then he got my sister in a whole mess of trouble." She glanced up at Fallenflame only to see confusion in the ShadowClan cat's eyes. "I blame him for the murder of that little ShadowClan kit."

"How would he-"

"How would he lead to the kit's death?" Adderstar said, finishing Fallenflame's question. "Blacksoot, he brought that kit into the world, and he was the reason he was kicked right out of it before he was more than a moon old-"

"Adderstar," Fallenflame began, "you're obviously ThunderClan, how would you know about Wolfkit?"

A spark of recognition flared in her eyes, "yes, that was his name, Wolfkit."

"Yes, yes his name was Wolfkit, now how do you know about all this?" She muttered impatiently.

"Every cat knows at least a little bit about it, Fallenflame." Adderstar said, her gaze never wavering as she stared at her. "I'm just surprised you're just finding this out know."

"Cats like to keep things from me." Fallenflame said simply.

Adderstar violently shook her head, "we've gone off topic. I told you what you want to know, now you tell me what I want to know. How are Cloverkit and Thrushkit being treated, and why where they taken?"

Fallenflame blinked, slightly shocked at how easily Adderstar took control. She slowly nodded, "yes, I agree that that's fair. First off, they were renamed. Ro- urm, I mean the clan decided to rename Cloverkit as Duskkit, and Thrushkit was renamed Darkkit in Darkstar's honor."

Adderstar leapt to her paws, her ears flat and her lips peeled back into a snarl. "How dare he! That rotten cat has no honor, I vow that I'll make sure he goes to the Dark Forest when he goes!" She snarled, her tail whipping about behind her.

She shifted around in her nest at her sudden outburst, "and I believe that Darkstar had them taken out of spite. He wanted to hit ThunderClan hard where it hurt the most."

Adderstar shook her head again, "no, you have to be lying! Cloverkit and Thrushkit know their names, they wouldn't just start responding to new names!"

"Adderstar, they were lied to. I was sent with a few other cats to um… take the kits, and one of the cats I was with, she said she had a plan to get the kits to come with us without hesitation. So the patrol agreed. Then, when we got into the nursery, she told the kits that she was their mother and that ThunderClan had stolen them. She also told the kits that their names were originally Duskkit and Darkkit. That's why they respond to those names."

The ThunderClan leader fell silent, regaining her composure. "Well then it looks like ShadowClan isn't getting their missing warrior back until ThunderClan gets their kits back." She glanced at Fallenflame. "This isn't anything against you, Fallenflame. You're decent for a ShadowClan cat." The gray and white she-cat turned, ready to leave when Fallenflame stopped her.

"Wait," she started, looking around the den again, "where's Foxtail? I haven't seen him yet. Is he outside or something?"

Adderstar stiffened. She looked over her shoulder, "Petalstorm killed him, Fallenflame. I'm so sorry."

**Wholly cow! Another chapter already?! This one just sort of flowed out naturally, so… yeah hope a surprise update isn't too annoying… Well, that's all I've got to say today. **


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 20:

**_Moonbeam141: Oh yes… Petalstorm's in some hot water right about now! And I'm really not sure why I made ThunderClan like this, maybe because I'm sick of them being so purrfect? (see what I did there?) _**

**Forestclaw: Eh, it helps the story have character I guess (even though I keep killing the characters) I liked Foxtail too! It was hard writing that last sentence, believe me… and yeah I think Darkstar's fan-base has dwindled into nothing now!**

**_One Twinkle in a Million: Oh my gosh! You are brutal! And aw! I love cockatiels! They're my favorite type of pet bird!_**

**DarkAngel643: They're connected in a way, you're right about that, but- oh I want to spoil it so badly! But I won't (:**

**_EmberskyofShadowClan: Sheesh, I didn't know Foxtail had so many fans! Maybe if I had known I would've spared him… wait, nope. He would've had to die for the sequel to work… But yeah, I like Foxy too! At first I thought it'd be easy killing him, but then I got attached to him…_**

**_Mcreed1000: Aw… now I'm wondering if I should've killed Foxy… but yes, ThunderClan's screwed up! (For like the first time, *cough*MarysueClan*cough* _**

_Thunder cries out for death…_

"What?" Fallenflame said, her eyes wide.

Adderstar simply stared at Fallenflame, her gaze clouded. "There's a reason Petalstorm's called Petal_storm_, Fallenflame. Outside of battle, she's real sweet, but once she gets into this zone… it's hard to snap her out of it. Petalstorm wasn't in her right of mind and trust me, she feels horrible about it-"

Fallenflame didn't appear to be listening, "what happened to ThunderClan being the 'noble' clan?" She spat, her eyes glaring daggers at Adderstar. "You claim that ThunderClan is the clan that always does the right thing, and then you go and kill off Crookedclaw, and innocent little Shinepaw, and Lillypaw's and Rosepaw's father, and now you've killed Foxtail, and he was a _medicine cat _for StarClan's sake!"

Her eyes darkened, the sympathy for the ShadowClan cat hidden, "Well ShadowClan stole poor Rainwhisker's kits! Your leader, the cat you call father killed a kit, and several of your warriors killed Grousepaw, Lightsky, Bluebracken, and Gingertail! Your clan ambushed my clan in the middle of the night, and ShadowClan fought to kill that night. Don't act like your clan is so high and mighty, Toad-breath. ShadowClan has harbored murderous monsters since the clans first began."

Fallenflame parted her jaws to retort, but nothing came out. Adderstar gave a small smirk at her reaction, "That's what I thought. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a deal to make."

She could only watch as the ThunderClan leader left the medicine cat's den. Moments later, her yowl echoed across the camp as she called a clan meeting. Fallenflame knew she would be explaining Cloverkit's and Thrushkit's ordeal and how they were going to go home. Her stomach churned at the thought of being held hostage, the thought of being so… _helpless_. It disgusted her. She looked to her side, half-expecting Foxtail to be there, ready to talk their way out of this mess. He had been good at that.

Fallenflame struggled to her paws, stiffly moving out of the freakishly scratchy nest. She jumped a little when she heard outraged yowls and snarls from outside. The she-cat shook her head in disapproval at her own skittishness. Shaking moss out of her pelt, she peered out of the clearing. A small hiss of frustration escaped her teeth when she saw no possible way out. She sighed, knowing she'd just get herself into more trouble if she went outside to greet an angry crowd of ThunderClan cats. Fallenflame seated herself near the mouth of the crack in camp wall of ThunderClan's camp, her ears strained as she tried to listen to Adderstar.

"-taking Grasswing, Badgerclaw, Whispertail, Blossomstep, Flamestorm, Runningstorm, Sageberry, Mousetail, and Rainwhisker. The rest of you will stay and guard the camp." The ThunderClan cat paused for a moment before continuing, "Whispertail and Runningstorm, please fetch Fallenflame. Badgerclaw and Blossomstep please get Foxtail's body."

Her final commands send shivers up her spine. First off, Whispertail and Runningstorm were both _very _big toms that seemed to be good at intimidating other cats. Then there was the fact that Adderstar had barked out her last command so casually, as though Foxtail was a piece of fresh-kill that she wanted some apprentices to give to the elders.

The brown, broad form of Whispertail soon entered the den with Runningstorm just behind him. "Let's get going, Toad-breath." He muttered, walking on Fallenflame's right while Runningstorm covered her left.

"What is it with ThunderClan calling ShadowClan cats 'Toad-breath'?" She muttered quietly as she was 'escorted' into the stone clearing.

As soon as she was visible to the population of ThunderClan, cats began murmuring quietly, a few growling at her. She felt very exposed with all of ThunderClan glaring at her, tempting the ShadowClan cat to speed up; she couldn't wait to get back under the cover of the pine trees.

XXX

"Are you sure patrols come through here often?" Adderstar asked impatiently as she, Fallenflame, and her patrol sat on the ShadowClan border.

Fallenflame nodded numbly, "yes, lately there's been double patrols covering this section, Adderstar. Just keep waiting."

"Never trust a ShadowClan cat." Sageberry, a pretty white she-cat, muttered to her ginger-furred companion, Flamestorm.

Flamestorm nodded slowly, his irises boring into Fallenflame's pelt. At Sageberry's words, most of the ThunderClan patrol murmured to cats around them, some making snide remarks while others seemed fearful. Fallenflame rolled her eyes at their worries.

"I didn't know ThunderClan had _worriers._" Fallenflame said to herself, purring slightly at the pun. Her purrs quickly ceased when she caught sight of Foxtail's torn figure.

The ginger tom had been placed a few fox-lengths away from her. Blossomstep stood beside the corpse, slowly scooting away from him with a grimace and a wrinkled nose. "Smells almost as bad as the thing he was named after." She muttered somewhat loudly.

A low growl formed in Fallenflame's throat, tempting her to claw the she-cat's face. She forced her paws to stay glued to the bracken-covered earth.

Foxtail had been the first tom that Fallenflame considered to be a friend other than Crookedclaw. She was pretty sure he hadn't liked her in the way Crookedclaw had, which relived her in a way. Especially now that he had been murdered… just like Crookedclaw, her other friend…

As a kit, Fallenflame would've purred in amusement at the thought of being friends with a medicine cat. As a kit, Fallenflame would've scoffed at a lot of things actually: playing games with her littermates and Hailpelt's kits, having Stormeye as a mentor, being friends with any cat that wasn't Crookedclaw, going to ThunderClan's camp to _talk _to Adderstar while tensions were high, mourning the loss of a medicine cat… The more Fallenflame thought about it, Fallenkit was a monster. A selfish, ambitious monster. She had looked up to _Tigerstar_ for StarClan's sake!

Perhaps Darkstar had rubbed off on her. She was after all, his daughter, right?

She lightly shook her head, focusing her eyes on her paws. Fallenflame drew in a deep breath, hoping that a ShadowClan patrol would come and trade Cloverkit and Thrushkit for Foxtail's body and Fallenflame. Fallenflame just wanted things to go back to normal, pretend that she hadn't ever dreamt about Wolfkit nor heard Blacksoot's name.

Fallenflame's ears laid back on her head, knowing that things would be far from normal when she got back to camp. Darkstar would be _livid _when he found out that Fallenflame and Foxtail had gone out to talk to his enemy, Adderstar, and got one of his medicine cats killed.

She knew he could demote her back to an apprentice, give her apprentice duties… her thoughts trailed off after that. In the back of her mind, Fallenflame knew she could end up like Wolfkit, dead and cowering at the mere sound of his name. Perhaps she wouldn't ever get to see Deerpetal's kits in person, but in a dream, forced to talk in cryptic riddles like the rest of StarClan.

Her first nightmare came to mind. She thought carefully about it, wondering if _Darkstar _represented the darkness that crept up on her, eating everything in its path. Fallenflame again shook her head, deeming it to be as stupid as the idea that Wolfkit was the wolf in her dream. Her thoughts then wandered to the yarrow that had protected her. Fallenflame immidately eliminated Yarrowtail, as she was just a medicine cat. She couldn't protect anything if she tried. Maybe Rosepaw or Lillypaw represented the flowers? Fallenflame kept an open mind about them, although her doubt was high about those two. Perhaps it was Greenflower? Her mother fending off the darkness. She mulled it over before crossing her off the list. The flowers were yellow, not green. Surely if it was Greenflower the flowers would've been green as well.

Fallenflame's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Fallenflame?"

She looked up to see the border patrol they'd been waiting for. Fallenflame locked gazes with none other than Stormeye, who stared at her wide-eyed. Fallenflame tore her gaze away from Stormeye's and looked at the other cats on the patrol: Pinewhisker, Tawnyfern, Mottleface, Whiteheart, and Lucy. All of them looked shocked to see Fallenflame on ThunderClan's side of the border.

Adderstar was the first to break the silence. "I see you've noticed your clanmate on _my _side of the border. If you want her back, I suggest getting Darkstar."

Lucy exchanged concerned expressions with her clanmates before nodding at them and running into the pines.

Pinewhisker, the cat leading the patrol, stepped forward. "What is my sister doing with you?" He asked coldly, his eyes flashing as he glared at Adderstar.

Adderstar merely flicked an ear, showing little to no concern at his threatening posture. "I'm surprised you still think of her like that."

Fallenflame narrowed her eyes in suspicion, ignoring Stormeye's stares as she focused solely on her brother.

"She will always be my little sister, Adderstar." Pinewhisker growled, his fur bristling.

The gray and white she-cat shrugged, "If that's how you feel about her, then maybe when-" She stopped for a second almost as though to add suspense, "_if _she comes back to your camp, you should tell her."

Most of the ShadowClan patrol looked expectantly at Pinewhisker, waiting for his reaction. Pinewhisker stayed silent.

"Aw, come on, Pinepaw-"

"Pine_whisker_." Pinewhisker grumbled, earning a smug look from Adderstar.

"Alright, come on, Pine_whisker_, Fallenflame's a big she-cat now, a warrior. She can handle the truth." Adderstar pushed, staring at the handsome brown tabby.

He glared at the ThunderClan leader, holding his ground. "Darkstar will take care of you." He said simply.

Fallenflame looked to Adderstar, and surprisingly, her eyes didn't darken at his name. "I'd like to see him try." She said daringly.

Almost on cue, Darkstar padded out of the shadows, only he wasn't alone. Lucy, Scorchtalon, Rosepaw, and Wildclaw had accompanied him. His whiskers twitched at Adderstar's words.

"How bold of you to say, Adderstar," he began, stalking towards the border, " but I would be more careful before taking a cat from the forest's strongest clan hostage."

"The clan that lost? The clan that stole kits?" Adderstar asked skeptically, ignoring the slight wails that came from Rainwhisker at the mention of the missing kits.

Darkstar twitched his ears, as though to say 'well played'. "Alright, Adderstar. It's quite obvious that you're not just giving my warrior back. What do you want?" He asked impatiently.

Fallenflame looked at her paws. They hadn't noticed Foxtail yet.

"Darkstar, if you want… what's left of your medicine cat," Adderstar said ruefully, gesturing towards Foxtail's body with her tail.

The patrol stared wide-eyed at Foxtail, most looking stunned and shocked. "What happened to him?" Rosepaw whispered shakily, her small figure trembling.

Adderstar didn't answer her, instead locking gazes with Darkstar, who didn't seem horribly fazed by the death of Foxtail. But then again, he was good at hiding his emotions. "You want the kits?" He finally asked.

The ThunderClan leader nodded. Much to Fallenflame's shock, Darkstar shook his head. "Never mind. This was a waste of my time, you can keep the body and my _ornery_," he growled the word 'ornery', "warrior. Two fresh cats are better than a dead cat and a cat who will never do what she's supposed to do."

Adderstar stared at Darkstar, stunned at his bluntness. "But don't you want to bury your own medicine cat?" She asked.

Darkstar shrugged, "either way Foxtail's ending up in the ground." He turned to his cats, "let's go."

At his words, Pinewhisker tore his gaze from Fallenflame, padding after their father without a second thought. Shock and anger surged through her blood at Pinewhisker's actions. One minute he's practically threatening Adderstar to give Fallenflame back, then at his father's words, he leaves without Fallenflame or a single shred of regret. Sometimes it seemed that Pinewhisker would go to the end of the earth to please Darkstar. At one point so would've Fallenflame.

Stormeye and Rosepaw were the only ones to stay in front of the ThunderClan patrol. Fallenflame looked at Adderstar, a pleading look in her eyes. Adderstar stared back at Fallenflame before shaking her head slowly. "I'm sorry, I can't."

Fallenflame glanced at Stormeye and Rosepaw. Rosepaw looked torn, as though she felt that she had to follow Darkstar, but also wanted to side with Fallenflame; the cat who had played with her as a kit. Stormeye didn't look like he was budging until he got his former apprentice back.

She looked back at Adderstar, "can't or won't?"

Guilt flashed in Adderstar's eyes, but the she-cat held strong. "Like I said before, Fallenflame. You're not bad for a ShadowClan cat, and it's nothing personal. Those kits are pure ThunderClan and I'm not stopping until they come home."

"Rosepaw, go back to camp." Stormeye said suddenly, gaining the attention of Adderstar and Fallenflame.

"W-why? Don't you-" Rosepaw questioned, her eyes rounded in confusion.

Stormeye shook his head, "Rosepaw, go. I'll get them back, I promise. Now get back to camp, I'm sure Scorchtalon will start worrying about you if you don't get back soon."

At the mention of her mentor, Rosepaw slowly nodded, trotting away into the pine forest. Stormeye now stood alone. Adderstar peered at the black and white tom expectantly.

"Adderstar, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Fallenflame probably did something stupid." Stormeye started, a calm look in his green and blue eyes.

Fallenflame looked taken back by Stormeye's way of going about this, but stayed quiet.

The gray and white she-cat nodded, "yes, in a way she did."

"Well it wouldn't be the first dumb mistake she's made," he continued, his gaze shifting to the body of his friend, Foxtail, "and I'm nearly certain that Foxtail egged her on a little."

This time, the still-healing Grasswing nodded, her tail flicking somewhat angrily behind her. "Yeah, those two pushed their luck alright." She muttered.

Adderstar shot Grasswing a warning glance, silencing the typically testy she-cat.

"And even though Fallenflame and I have only been mates for a short time-"

Fallenflame stiffened, her jaws nearly parting to yowl in protest when she caught Stormeye's eye. Fallenflame quickly caught onto what he was doing. She forced herself to relax, look as neutral and undisturbed by Stormeye's lie as possible.

"-I know that she would never do anything to purposely hurt another cat." Stormeye said.

Adderstar looked in Fallenflame's direction, a mixture of surprise and confusion evident on her features. "Fallenflame, you already have a mate? I thought you only just became a warrior a few moonrises ago?"

Fallenflame drew in a deep breath as she turned her head to face Adderstar. "Y-yes, I did just become a warrior a little bit ago," she admitted, bracing herself for the next phrases, "but Stormeye was my mentor, so naturally we just spent a lot of time together, and it just sort of… happened."

She was horrified at how easily the lie had rolled off her tongue, but it made Adderstar believe it. That was all that mattered.

She nodded at Fallenflame, her attention shifting to the sole ShadowClan warrior in front of her. "And this sways my decision how, Stormeye?"

Stormeye was quiet for a moment, as though he was mulling over what he should say next.

Fallenflame stared at the tom, wondering if that lie she'd just spun would follow her around once she got back to ShadowClan camp. Her mouth went dry at the thought of having to act the part if they went to a gathering together and was approached by Adderstar, or any ThunderClan cat for that matter.

"It's just that Fallenflame and I, we have some… _things _to talk about." He said carefully, emphasizing the word 'things'. His gaze never left Adderstar's.

"Oh…" Adderstar replied, shifting uncomfortably on her paws as she got what he was implying.

Fallenflame gritted her teeth, staring at her paws as her pelt bristled with embarrassment. She had no idea why Stormeye had even _thought _about _that _as an excuse to get her out of ThunderClan. It was quite obvious that the two never saw eye-to-eye and had conflicting personalities. Stormeye was more noble and respectful while Fallenflame was rude, judgmental, and was just hard to get along with. Stormeye would follow his clanmates across the log to a gathering, and Fallenflame would swim across the lake to a gathering just to spite a cat. She was fire, he was ice. They would _never_ mix. Right?

Adderstar looked down at her paws, murmuring softly to herself for a while. The air grew rather tense in that time.

She turned to face Fallenflame. "If I let you leave, will you promise me that I'll get Cloverkit and Thrushkit back?"

Fallenflame nodded, "If you let me go right now, I swear on my life that I will sneak both out to ThunderClan territory on the night of the gathering. Both clans will be less guarded so it should be easy to get them out. If I don't bring those kits back, then I will willingly come back to be your… prisoner."

Adderstar seemed satisfied with her answer. "You're a good cat, Fallenflame. I trust you. Now go before I change my mind."

Fallenflame didn't spare a moment before practically leaping onto her side of the boarder beside Stormeye. To play the lie, the two stood close enough to where their fur was touching.

"Thank you, Adderstar. I won't let you down." She promised.

**Another update! I've just had a streak of inspiration lately, isn't it great?! I know I should probably store this chapter and post it in at least a few days, but I just can't! I mean, who can? Well, I hope to StarClan that you guys liked this chapter, especially the last part ;) I did that for all the StormxFallen people! Will it lead to anything? Only time can tell! OH! AND WE ARE SO DANG CLOSE TO 100 REVIEWS WITH 95 REVIEWS! LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN GUYS! I'll do something special if we make it this chapter! **

**~Spotty **


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 21:

**_Stuffed Watermelon: I loved writing that part! It was really different than what I usually write!_**

**Guest: Haha yeah!**

**_Frozenstar17: Well, the wait is over!_**

**Moonbeam141: Yeah there are LOTS of holes in Fallenflame's plan, but cut the poor she-cat some slack! She thought of it last second! And you'll see how she takes that right about now ;)**

**_EmberskyofShadowClan: Hm… you know, I never got to Stormeye's reaction about getting the kits back… well, that's for next chapter I guess!_**

**One Twinkle in a Million: Haha! I knew you'd LOVE that part! (I know that you heavily ship them since you rejoiced in happiness when poor Foxtail died) I think you'll love/hate this chapter**

**_XxShadowcat222xX: Yup! That's what Stormeye's like under pressure! ;)_**

**Forestclaw: Oh, she's getting rid of him alright! (well, maybe he won't die at her claws… or at all… or maybe he will!)**

_You shiver as lightning barks in harmony…_

As soon as Fallenflame and Stormeye were out of earshot, Fallenflame glared at her former mentor. "What in StarClan was that!" She snarled, stopping beneath a smaller pine tree.

Stormeye drew in a deep breath, pausing beside Fallenflame and the young pine tree. "Look, I had to get you out of that somehow, and I knew that even a ThunderClan cat would hold a she-cat that could be a queen hostage. I was going to take a different route, but that one seemed easiest." He reasoned.

"Why?" She asked, her voice dripping venom, "I'm not your apprentice anymore, Stormeye! You don't have to be responsible for me! If I'm going to get captured by ThunderClan then you better darn well let me weasel my way out of it myself! If I'm going to get myself into _any _trouble at all, you better let me get out of it myself!"

He shook his black and white head, his gaze clouded. "Fallenflame, I don't care if you aren't my apprentice anymore. I'm not your father or even related to you and I still reprimanded you when you were a kit. Why should I stop now?"

"You should stop because I'm a warrior now, I make my own decisions, Stormeye! Stop babying me!" She snapped, her tail lashing angrily behind her.

Stormeye sat down in front of Fallenflame. "You know, Fallenflame. I actually requested Darkstar to let me mentor you when you were still a kit," he said suddenly, ignoring the look of disbelief on Fallenflame's features, "and you know why I asked to mentor you? I asked to mentor you because you looked like a challenge. And believe me, you were definitely a challenge,"

Fallenflame couldn't stop pride from surging through her veins at his words. She always knew she was a little difficult and ambitious (and took great pride in it), but hearing it straight out of Stormeye's mouth made it sweeter than it already was.

"But I like a good challenge. I'd wake up every dawn wondering what fox-dung you'd pull that day and how I was going to deal with it; other warriors pitied me. They would compare you to the other apprentices to point out your attitude, and I would just shrug them off." Stormeye continued, eyeing Fallenflame carefully as she watched her paws.

"I would shrug them off because I have always _liked _your attitude. You've always had a stubborn, forceful, head-strong vibe, Fallenflame. That makes you different. It's rare to find a cat that's willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants." He said, continuing to stare at the lithe she-cat. "That's why I stay around you, because I'm not ready to let go of _that_."

Fallenflame met his gaze. Surprise surged through her blood when she saw uncertainty and nervousness present in both eyes; it wasn't something she expected. "Well, I'm not willing to hang around cats that keep secrets from me."

Stormeye's face fell, the nerves melting away in his gaze. Sympathy replaced it. "Now Fallenflame, that's not my story to tell you. I believe that Greenflower and Darkstar will open up to you when the time is right."

Fallenflame narrowed her eyes, "what does my mother have to do with this?"

"Fallenflame you have no idea how much I want to tell you-"

"Then why don't you?"

"Fallenpaw- Fallenflame, if I tell you it will _break you_. I can't have you hate me."

"Why can't I hate you, Stormeye? Tell me!"

Stormeye shook his head fiercely, turning away from his former apprentice. He shot her a glance over his shoulder, his gaze clouded. "We should be going. Darkstar will want to know-"

"What? That his useless, _ornery _daughter came home?" Fallenflame spat angrily, her tail thrashing behind her. "Oh! Or, does Pinewhisker want to know that his _precious _sister came home? Stormeye, they left me! My own kin wouldn't make an arrangement with ThunderClan, but my mentor will lie about being my mate to get me out of ThunderClan?"

"Fallenflame… they care about you and you know it. Knowing Darkstar, he would've just raided ThunderClan again and gotten you back. He's leader for a reason." Stormeye murmured, beckoning for her to follow him.

"You know, I'm almost tempted to not get Cloverkit and Thrushkit back to ThunderClan just so I can go back. They told me about things that no one else would tell me. I never knew who Blacksoot was-"

Stormeye's eyes widened in alarm. "They told you what?!"

Fallenflame glared at the tom, "Why shouldn't I know about Blacksoot? And Wolfkit?"

Stormeye winced at the names as though they were cursed. "I can't tell you, Fallenflame, I can't. I really can't have you hate me, Fallenflame. I can't have my first apprentice hate me."

"That's a load of fox-dung, Stormeye! 'I can't have my first apprentice hate me'! What's the real reason, Stormeye? What's the real reason you can't tell me? Is Darkstar threatening you or the rest of the clan?" She hissed, stalking closer to the black and white cat.

"…not exactly. Cats know about it, Fallenflame. It was a very dark, regrettable incident that we as a clan have decided to keep from the next generation-"

"Then why does Pinewhisker know and not me!" Fallenflame cried, feeling herself growing desperate for answers. In her low, pleading state, she inched closer to Stormeye until they were no more than a tail-length apart. Her blue irises locked with his bi-colored eyes.

Much to her despair, the tom didn't break in the way she wanted.

"You're right." He said suddenly, his words sparking confusion in Fallenflame's eyes. The she-cat sat up, looking more like a warrior and less like a sniveling kit begging to go out of camp. "It's not that you were my first apprentice. That's not why I can't bear to have you hate me."

Fallenflame kept her attention on Stormeye, taking note that he was saying Darkstar wasn't threatening anyone. At least not for that.

She looked at him questioningly, wondering what could possibly be so bad about it. They hadn't ever seen eye-to-eye anyways. How would Fallenflame hating him possibly affect Stormeye? It wouldn't.

"Fallenflame, I like you, a lot." Stormeye said, locking gazes with Fallenflame.

Fallenflame didn't seem to catch on, looking blankly at the tom. "I think we've already established that. Now what's the real reason?" She pushed.

Stormeye shook his head, "You're not getting it, Fallenflame-"

"Stop stalling!" Fallenflame snapped.

"Never mind. This can happen another time." He began to pad away in the direction of ShadowClan's camp.

Fallenflame growled in frustration, tearing at the boggy ground beneath her. She didn't follow him though, instead watching his silhouette disappear into the distance, hidden away. Angered and feeling somewhat betrayed, she settled, seating herself on the soft, damp earth. Fallenflame wrapped herself into a tight ball as a wave of exhaustion crashed into her, drawing her eyes closed. She was quickly stolen away into the darkness.

XXX

_ Fallenflame opened her eyes quicker than she expected. She was still curled up beneath a tree in a tight ball. Only this was an oak tree, a rather large one at that. Fallenflame's eyes widened at that, stumbling to her paws and glancing around her. Unlike last time, she wasn't in a meadow, but instead a hollow. A lone tree sat in the center with a few bushes to keep it company; mist swirled around the outskirts of the hollow, probably leading to nowhere knowing StarClan. _

_ She nearly jumped when the familiar, happy voice of Wolfkit filled her ears. "Fallenflame!" The StarClan member cried, bouncing out of the mist to her side. His baby-blue orbs shone as he purred loudly, rubbing his head against her foreleg. _

_ "Hello, Wolfkit." Fallenflame greeted, a light purr forming in her throat. She was hunting for answers, and although Stormeye wouldn't give them to her, she was certain that Wolfkit would. _

_ "Did ya miss me?" He asked, backing away from the pale she-cat._

_ She nodded, "Of course I did."_

_ He beamed at her response, prancing around Fallenflame with his head held high. "Wanna play a game?" He asked._

_ Fallenflame inwardly cringed at the thought of playing kit-games again, but she had to play with him to… to… to get answers out of him! That was it._

_ "Wolfkit!" A voice growled, interrupting Fallenflame's slight doubt. _

_ Both the cats snapped their attention to where Wolfkit had emerged from the fog. A large, thick-furred black tom stepped into the hollow. His amber gaze didn't look amused in the slightest. "Get out of here, Wolfkit. I told you that you couldn't visit Fallenflame ever, and then what do you do? You go see Fallenflame anyway. Get. Out."_

_ Wolfkit shrunk, wincing at the star-spangled StarClan cat's words. "But daddy… I haven't seen Fallenflame since forever! Since the bad cat killed me-"_

_ Fallenflame's keen reaction on Wolfkit talking must've been very noticeable, as the big black tom glared at Wolfkit. "No, get out."_

_ Wolfkit's tail drooped, his head hanging low as he slunk past Fallenflame. He cast her a sad glance. "By Fallenflame…" He mumbled, stepping back into the fog._

_ The tom nodded at the kit's actions, turning to follow suit. "Wait! Who are you, please tell me!" _

_ The StarClan cat stopped mid-step, turning away from the mist and going towards Fallenflame. "If he ever comes back here, you tell him to get out." He said coldly, his amber eyes void of emotion._

_ "Who are you!" Fallenflame repeated, not bothering to hide the pleading desperation in her voice._

_ He narrowed his eyes at Fallenflame. "Looks like Wolfkit was right, you don't remember anything. Well, she said that the trauma would make you forget." The tom looked distant when he said the last part._

_ "Who are you and who is 'she'?" Fallenflame asked._

_ The tom shook his head, "I'll get in trouble if I tell you who she is, that's not for me to say. She must come forward and tell you herself; I personally am surprised she hasn't done it already. She has never been the type to let things marinate like this. She would compare things like this to a festering wound, if it's left to sit and sort itself out, it'll only get worse."_

_ It was driving Fallenflame mad. All the tom would do is torment her more and more, telling her about cats that she had yet to learn about. "What is your name?" _

_ The tom acted as though he didn't hear her, looking somewhat longingly at the fog. "I must be going." He walked back towards the mist._

_ "Wait! Please tell me your name! Please!" Fallenflame begged, padding after the tom._

_ The black cat set one paw into the mist and looked over his shoulder, much like how Stormeye had earlier. "Think about what your friend said, Fallenflame. Remember what happened to Redfang, perhaps that will aid you." The black tom then allowed the swirling mist to swallow him up._

**Hiya! First off, I must apologize for the overall awfulness of this chapter! It's like two in the morning right now and I just wrote it all at once. Second, what would you guys like since we hit 100+ reviews? A super long chapter or something? I don't know you guys give me ideas I'm too tired!  
**

**~Spotty**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 22:

**_Frozenstar17: Aw thanks! And do you mean the extra allegiance members? Because those just sort of come in when needed… if you want a specific one to get some spotlight time then just tell me and I'll make it happen :D (If that was even what you meant)_**

**Moonbeam141: We'll get more into that in the next chapter, this one focuses on something a tad different. ;)**

**_One Twinkle in a Million: Can do! I'll add some more of that (the shipping is really starting to grow on me) and I'm glad you like Wolfkit! He's really fun to write about :D_**

**Forestclaw: As we discussed on the PM, I'm making that happen! ;) **

**_DarkAngel643: Haha yeah! The sad thing is, is that I would probably do what she did too… I can be rather… aloof… with that XD_**

**Mcreed1000: Thornstep, yes. And Darkstar did that for a reason that's sort of that. You'll find out one of these days! :D**

**_EmberskyofShadowClan: Writing that little bit with Stormeye and Fallenflame was hard for me (romance/fluff is really hard for me to write for some reason) but it was also really fun at the same time! :D_**

_Rain and hail taps at the ground…_

The next day, Fallenflame had gone back to ShadowClan camp to find that a lot had happened in the short amount of time she was gone. Deerpetal, who was getting closer to kitting every day, had finally moved into the nursery along with Greenflower, who announced that she was pregnant with Darkstar's kits. Despite the fact that she was skeptical about her father's innocence, Fallenflame couldn't hide the slight excitement of being an older sister. Perhaps they would be more loyal to her than Pinewhisker and Darkstar were.

Fallenflame knew it was silly to think Pinewhisker would choose her over his beloved father; the tom would follow Darkstar to the end of the earth without a second thought. She suspected that her brother too wanted the next position as deputy. The thought brought a small smirk to her features. She was to be the next the next deputy, no questions asked.

At that, her stomach dropped. Fallenflame would be closely related to both Deerpetal's and Greenflower's kits. There was no way she would get to train those kits nor Rainwhisker's kits as they would be going home before the next gathering. But on the bright side, neither would Pinewhisker. The kits would most likely be sent to be trained by more qualified warriors like Redpool and Dustclaw. Maybe Mottleface would get another apprentice since Shinepaw had passed onto StarClan before she could claim a warrior name. Perhaps poor Yarrowtail would get a new apprentice.

She felt horribly for what had happened to Foxtail. When Yarrowtail had learned of his death and how gruesome it had been, she had let out a wail of grief and anguish. She had been in her den all day and hadn't come back out; Foxtail was like her son and she didn't even get to bury him.

Fallenflame knew ShadowClan blamed her for Foxtail's death, and she agreed with them all. Had she not suggested that they go to ThunderClan without telling anyone, Foxtail would still be a stranger to her, but he would still be alive.

It. Was. All. Her. Fault.

A medicine cat died indirectly at Fallenflame's claws, her own medicine cat in fact. She wasn't sure how she could dare to call herself a ShadowClan cat. It had certainly put a damper on her impending deputyship. If anything, Foxtail's dreadful passing had shone a light on Pinewhisker, it was as though StarClan wanted her brother to take Fogfur's place. But it couldn't happen, it wouldn't happen. Fallenflame wouldn't allow something like this to knock her away from her rightful place.

Fallenflame stood at the mouth of the nursery, having just finished visiting her mother and sister. She stared at Yarrowtail's den. The lithe she-cat wanted nothing more than to never look at Yarrowtail again and pretend that Foxtail's untimely death had never happened. She knew that wouldn't be possible. It would be better to face her now rather than later.

Deciding that she had procrastinated enough, the she-cat padded towards the medicine cat den. On her short walk, she'd earned many glares and disapproving looks when her clanmates caught on that she was going to see Yarrowtail. She shrugged them off, hoping that eventually her clanmates' accusations would die down until they were buried and long forgotten, like Wolfkit's apparent murder.

Fallenflame ignored the prickly bramble-like tendrils that snagged at her fur as she entered Yarrowtail's den. She winced at the sight before her; the older she-cat sat hunched in the darkest corner of her den, her head hung low. Her normally bright blue eyes were dulled and looked more gray than blue; her gray fur looked ragged and unkempt as though she hadn't washed in days despite the fact that she'd only found out at sun-rise. Much to her surprise, Yarrowtail arose, regaining her stature. She still held the dull hue of blue in her irises.

"Yes?" She croaked feebly.

"Yarrowtail, I'm sor-" Fallenflame began, only for Yarrowtail's tail to be swept over her jaws.

Yarrowtail shook her head lightly, her eyes softening at her attempted apology. "Foxtail brought this on himself, Fallenflame. You said he died to save you. He didn't have to do that, Fallenflame. You didn't kill him, Petalstorm did."

Fallenflame growled at Yarrowtail's words. "No, if I hadn't suggested going to ThunderClan camp, then none of this would've happened. I killed Foxtail, Yarrowtail. I killed your apprentice." She spat bitterly, her ears laying back on her head and her eyes focusing spitefully at the ground.

The older gray she-cat shook her head again, resting her ragged tail across her shoulders. "Fallenflame, I know you didn't kill my apprentice and I will go to StarClan knowing that Foxtail didn't die at your claws."

"But murder runs in my blood, Yarrowtail. Darkstar killed-"

At her words, Yarrowtail's whole attitude changed, her gaze turning dark and her hackles raising. "Don't you ever talk about that ever again!" She hissed quietly, looking around hastily as though she expected an eavesdropper. The she-cat leaned closer to the young warrior's face, her features brimming with worry. "What do you know? Don't leave out any details."

Fallenflame looked a little blown away at her sudden change in tone, but quickly settled back down. "Alright. I know that there was a kit-"

"Hush!" Yarrowtail growled, a signal for her to use a low voice.

In a lower, more hushed tone, Fallenflame began again. "I know that there's this kit, Wolfkit-"

"And how do you know about Wolfkit?" Yarrowtail prompted anxiously.

"Wolfkit visited me twice now in my dreams. He told me that Darkstar was his killer." Fallenflame informed, watching Yarrowtail's reaction to the statement. The last medicine cat revealed little emotion, beckoning Fallenflame with a flick of her tail to continue.

"Who else do you know about?" She asked cautiously.

"In my time at ThunderClan, Adderstar told me some things," Fallenflame began, taking a mental note at how stiff Yarrowtail became when she spoke Adderstar's name.

"The first being that she has a sister somewhere in ShadowClan. Adderstar told me that some cat called Blacksoot-"

Again, Yarrowtail seemed to freeze up when she mentioned Blacksoot.

"-and Blacksoot apparently stole her sister away from her. Adderstar blamed him for everything, taking her sister away, Wolfkit's murder, the whole war against ShadowClan thing, every little catastrophe is apparently Blacksoot's fault."

Before Fallenflame could go on, Yarrowtail began speaking again. "Stop. Just stop."

"Why?" She growled somewhat threateningly; no cat, no matter what had just happened to them, could just tell her that she wasn't allowed to do something.

"I care about you, Fallenflame. Please, just keep your muzzle where it belongs. I can't lose you too." Yarrowtail murmured, a distant look in her gaze.

Fallenflame's growl intensified, "Why is every cat saying they can't lose me? It's getting on my last nerves."

Either Yarrowtail was ignoring Fallenflame, or had pretended to have not heard her. "Please, Fallenflame. There are plenty of other things you should be doing with your life. I bet with your… charm… you could find a tom and have some kits, you could try staying out of trouble for more than a moon at a time, you could try a lot of things, Fallenflame! Just drop this whole little investigation you're doing. It's not worth your life. Everything you uncover makes you more at risk."

"No, it is worth it. Until I learn what in StarClan's name happened here, I'm not letting up." Fallenflame announced stubbornly.

"Life, especially your life, is a privilege, not a right nor an honor. Every second you spend mulling over this, trying to contact your-"

Like Yarrowtail had ignored Fallenflame before, Fallenflame blocked out Yarrowtail, cutting her short. "Yarrowtail, do you know who Adderstar's sister is? Oh, the better question would be what did her parents look like? That might help narrow the search down-"

"Down to what?" A cool voice meowed, drawing a loud, panicked gasp from Yarrowtail.

Fallenflame fought the urge to raise her hackles at the sight of her father. The dark tom merely leered at the two, a rather calm look spread throughout his features.

Yarrowtail cowered down, flattening herself against the boggy earth below them, her eyes wide with terror. "Darkstar! Please, please don't hurt her! She didn't know, I swear! I was just talking her out of-"

Darkstar shrugged the medicine cat off, his cold amber gaze locked solely on his daughter. "Oh Fallenflame, I had high hopes that you would've _dropped this already_." He said sternly, his orbs flashing as he spoke. "Surely by now you must've realized that this is not a topic that is to be discussed."

Fallenflame forced herself to appear undeterred; unphased by his threat. She held her head high, her gaze barely meeting Darkstar's throat. It was slightly tempting to tear at it as she had Grasswing's muzzle.

Still, his eyes never left Fallenflame's lithe form. "How about we take a little walk, _daughter_."

The way Darkstar had said 'daughter' sent chills up her spine. She knew that this 'walk' was going to be far from pleasant and far from a walk. But, Fallenflame also knew that refusing the walk was not an option, or at least one that she would want to choose. Stiffly and reluctantly, Fallenflame nodded.

"Excellent." Darkstar purred, padding out of the den with Fallenflame trailing behind him. Yarrowtail was left in her den to worry.

As they walked back across the clearing, Fallenflame caught eye of Stormeye. The black and white tom sat near the warriors' den, quickly taking notice of Fallenflame. The pale she-cat's heart began to race, seeing that she could somehow convey to him from a distance that this wasn't right. Surely he would already know that Fallenflame wouldn't go anywhere with her father, especially with her suspicions, right? She looked wildly at him, her stomach churning as she let desperation leak into her gaze. She then looked to and fro from Darkstar to Stormeye, hoping that he would catch on.

Fallenflame felt like she didn't have enough time when she left the safety of ShadowClan behind. She couldn't believe that she had willingly gone with a kit-murderer into the forest all alone.

Until they were in the heart of ShadowClan territory, neither said a word. Darkstar had stopped beside the old abandoned twoleg nest, but he didn't sit down. Fallenflame looked into his eyes and saw nothing but ice. It was like looking at a fire in the midst of a snowstorm.

Darkstar and Fallenflame held some sort of a staring contest until Fallenflame broke the ice. "If you're going to punish me for talking about Wolfkit-"

"There is no Wolfkit. There never _was _a Wolfkit and never will be a Wolfkit." Darkstar snarled, his sheer size making Fallenflame subconsciously flatten herself against the ground. She stared back up at her father and leader with rounded eyes.

The dark tom stalked closer to Fallenflame until his nose was nearly touching her nose. She expected him to snarl more warnings or denials about Wolfkit ever existing. Fallenflame couldn't have been more wrong. Without much more warning, he barreled into her, practically throwing the petite she-cat against the rotting remnants of the twoleg house. Fallenflame let out a squeal of surprise, hurrying to her paws only to be forced back down again.

She felt his hot breaths fan over her face as Darkstar yowled in anger. He rose a large paw and slashed at her cheek, adding another scar to the few that already resided beneath her facial fur. Fallenflame flinched, only giving Darkstar more satisfaction. To her surprise and relief, he got off her, letting Fallenflame get back to her paws. He stared at her again, his gaze fixated on the crimson that stained her pale gray fur.

Darkstar backed up a little, giving Fallenflame some breathing room. "Just remember this, Fallenflame, there are no such things as happy endings. Darkness lies in even the brightest and greatest of things." He began to walk back in the general direction of camp, but paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, and you'd better drop this all for good, Fallenflame. You say a word about any of this, and I'll do worse than knock you around and scratch your face."

**Hi! Alright, so I don't have much to say (what else is new). All I have to say is that the next chapter is going to be super ridiculously long to celebrate two things: 1) reaching over 100 reviews, and 2) being Forestclaw's birthday present from me ;) Oh, and for the next chapter, it was requested that there be some more StormxFallen stuff, so I'll do my best to make that happen. (It's almost painful to write romantic stuff, even if it's just fluff! I don't know why… it's probably because I don't write it enough.) Anyhow, goodbye for now!**

**~Spotty **


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